Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$) in Iran
Iran: Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$) was 103.99 million BoP, current US$ in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Foreign direct investment, net outflows in Iran, 1976–2025
Source: Balance of Payments database, International Monetary Fund (IMF), note: International Monetary Fund, Balance of Payments database, supplemented by data from the United Nations Conference on Trade and D. Measured in BoP, current US$.
Analysis
Iran recorded 103.99 million BoP, current US$ for foreign direct investment, net outflows in 2025.
That represents a change of up 16.3% on the previous year and down 13.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, foreign direct investment, net outflows in Iran peaked at 1.36 billion BoP, current US$ in 2012 and was at its lowest, -325.71 million BoP, current US$, in 2003.
That places Iran 92nd out of 193 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$) in Iran, year by year
| Year | BoP, current US$ | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1976 | 0 BoP, current US$ | — |
| 1977 | 0 BoP, current US$ | — |
| 1978 | 0 BoP, current US$ | — |
| 1979 | 0 BoP, current US$ | — |
| 1980 | 0 BoP, current US$ | — |
| 1981 | 0 BoP, current US$ | — |
| 1982 | 0 BoP, current US$ | — |
| 1983 | 0 BoP, current US$ | — |
| 1984 | 0 BoP, current US$ | — |
| 1985 | 0 BoP, current US$ | — |
| 1986 | 0 BoP, current US$ | — |
| 1987 | 0 BoP, current US$ | — |
| 1988 | 0 BoP, current US$ | — |
| 1989 | 0 BoP, current US$ | — |
| 1990 | 56.00 million BoP, current US$ | — |
| 1991 | 17.97 million BoP, current US$ | -67.9% |
| 1992 | 30.69 million BoP, current US$ | +70.7% |
| 1993 | -132.53 million BoP, current US$ | -531.9% |
| 1994 | 9.30 million BoP, current US$ | -107.0% |
| 1995 | 2.26 million BoP, current US$ | -75.7% |
| 1996 | 79.13 million BoP, current US$ | +3407.4% |
| 1997 | 80.13 million BoP, current US$ | +1.3% |
| 1998 | 63.39 million BoP, current US$ | -20.9% |
| 1999 | 193.80 million BoP, current US$ | +205.7% |
| 2000 | 10.99 million BoP, current US$ | -94.3% |
| 2001 | 50.00 million BoP, current US$ | +354.8% |
| 2002 | 15.20 million BoP, current US$ | -69.6% |
| 2003 | -325.71 million BoP, current US$ | -2242.7% |
| 2004 | 104.57 million BoP, current US$ | -132.1% |
| 2005 | 414.56 million BoP, current US$ | +296.4% |
| 2006 | 148.44 million BoP, current US$ | -64.2% |
| 2007 | 358.57 million BoP, current US$ | +141.6% |
| 2008 | 202.15 million BoP, current US$ | -43.6% |
| 2009 | 95.57 million BoP, current US$ | -52.7% |
| 2010 | 238.96 million BoP, current US$ | +150.0% |
| 2011 | 257.63 million BoP, current US$ | +7.8% |
| 2012 | 1.36 billion BoP, current US$ | +426.4% |
| 2013 | 189.20 million BoP, current US$ | -86.0% |
| 2014 | 3.44 million BoP, current US$ | -98.2% |
| 2015 | 119.69 million BoP, current US$ | +3377.4% |
| 2016 | 104.11 million BoP, current US$ | -13.0% |
| 2017 | 75.75 million BoP, current US$ | -27.2% |
| 2018 | 74.60 million BoP, current US$ | -1.5% |
| 2019 | 84.82 million BoP, current US$ | +13.7% |
| 2020 | 78.39 million BoP, current US$ | -7.6% |
| 2021 | 81.61 million BoP, current US$ | +4.1% |
| 2022 | 100.00 million BoP, current US$ | +22.5% |
| 2023 | 86.67 million BoP, current US$ | -13.3% |
| 2024 | 89.42 million BoP, current US$ | +3.2% |
| 2025 | 103.99 million BoP, current US$ | +16.3% |
Iran compared with similar countries
- Iran's 103.99 million BoP, current US$ is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 99.60 million BoP, current US$, 1.0× the median. (55 countries reporting)
- Iran's 103.99 million BoP, current US$ is below the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 266.18 million BoP, current US$, 39% of the median. (22 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$) in Iran changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | +3407.4% | 2.26 million BoP, current US$ | 79.13 million BoP, current US$ |
| 2015 | +3377.4% | 3.44 million BoP, current US$ | 119.69 million BoP, current US$ |
| 2003 | -2242.7% | 15.20 million BoP, current US$ | -325.71 million BoP, current US$ |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 0 BoP, current US$ | 0 BoP, current US$ | 0 BoP, current US$ | 4 |
| 1980s | 0 BoP, current US$ | 0 BoP, current US$ | 0 BoP, current US$ | 10 |
| 1990s | 40.01 million BoP, current US$ | -132.53 million BoP, current US$ | 193.80 million BoP, current US$ | 10 |
| 2000s | 107.44 million BoP, current US$ | -325.71 million BoP, current US$ | 414.56 million BoP, current US$ | 10 |
| 2010s | 250.42 million BoP, current US$ | 3.44 million BoP, current US$ | 1.36 billion BoP, current US$ | 10 |
| 2020s | 90.01 million BoP, current US$ | 78.39 million BoP, current US$ | 103.99 million BoP, current US$ | 6 |
Countries ranked near Iran
- 89 Botswana 124.33 million BoP, current US$ compare
- 90 Andorra 108.30 million BoP, current US$ compare
- 91 Estonia 106.79 million BoP, current US$ compare
- 93 Moldova 99.60 million BoP, current US$ compare
- 94 Sri Lanka 98.21 million BoP, current US$ compare
- 95 Jordan 97.89 million BoP, current US$ compare
More economy & growth data for Iran
- Real gdp growth, annual growth rate -141.63 % change on previous year (2025)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 1.48 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 2 Percent per annum (2029)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, annual growth rate 5.43 % change on previous year (2025)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, per unit of GDP 0.019 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, per capita 74.73 units per person (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, annual growth rate 0.3978 % change on previous year (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, per unit of GDP 0.0139 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, per capita 54.57 units per person (2025)
- IMF holdings of currency, US dollar, annual growth rate 5.01 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is foreign direct investment, net outflows in Iran?
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows in Iran was 103.99 million BoP, current US$ in 2025, according to Balance of Payments database, International Monetary Fund (IMF), note: International Monetary Fund, Balance of Payments database, supplemented by data from the United Nations Conference on Trade and D.
- What is the highest foreign direct investment, net outflows recorded in Iran?
- The highest recorded value was 1.36 billion BoP, current US$ in 2012.
- What is the lowest foreign direct investment, net outflows recorded in Iran?
- The lowest recorded value was -325.71 million BoP, current US$ in 2003.
- How does Iran rank for foreign direct investment, net outflows?
- Iran ranks 92nd out of 193 countries with data for 2025.
- Is foreign direct investment, net outflows rising or falling in Iran?
- Over the last ten years it is down 13.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Iran data come from?
- The figures come from Balance of Payments database, International Monetary Fund (IMF), note: International Monetary Fund, Balance of Payments database, supplemented by data from the United Nations Conference on Trade and D, published as part of Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Foreign direct investment refers to direct investment equity flows in an economy. It is the sum of equity capital, reinvestment of earnings, and other capital. Direct investment is a category of cross-border investment associated with a resident in one economy having control or a significant degree of influence on the management of an enterprise that is resident in another economy. Ownership of 10 percent or more of the ordinary shares of voting stock is the criterion for determining the existence of a direct investment relationship. This series shows net outflows of investment from the reporting economy to the rest of the world. Data are in current U.S. dollars.