Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$) in South Korea
South Korea: Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$) was 41.23 billion BoP, current US$ in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Foreign direct investment, net outflows in South Korea, 1971–2025
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$.
Analysis
In 2025, foreign direct investment, net outflows in South Korea stood at 41.23 billion BoP, current US$.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 17.1% on the previous year and up 74.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, foreign direct investment, net outflows in South Korea peaked at 66.00 billion BoP, current US$ in 2021 and was at its lowest, 1.00 million BoP, current US$, in 1972.
That places South Korea 16th out of 193 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top 10%.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$) in South Korea, year by year
| Year | BoP, current US$ | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1971 | 3.00 million BoP, current US$ | — |
| 1972 | 1.00 million BoP, current US$ | -66.7% |
| 1973 | 2.00 million BoP, current US$ | +100.0% |
| 1974 | 14.00 million BoP, current US$ | +600.0% |
| 1975 | 4.00 million BoP, current US$ | -71.4% |
| 1976 | 6.00 million BoP, current US$ | +50.0% |
| 1977 | 21.00 million BoP, current US$ | +250.0% |
| 1978 | 28.00 million BoP, current US$ | +33.3% |
| 1979 | 16.40 million BoP, current US$ | -41.4% |
| 1980 | 42.90 million BoP, current US$ | +161.6% |
| 1981 | 61.00 million BoP, current US$ | +42.2% |
| 1982 | 184.00 million BoP, current US$ | +201.6% |
| 1983 | 168.90 million BoP, current US$ | -8.2% |
| 1984 | 90.50 million BoP, current US$ | -46.4% |
| 1985 | 607.80 million BoP, current US$ | +571.6% |
| 1986 | 1.27 billion BoP, current US$ | +108.8% |
| 1987 | 544.30 million BoP, current US$ | -57.1% |
| 1988 | 726.00 million BoP, current US$ | +33.4% |
| 1989 | 729.50 million BoP, current US$ | +0.5% |
| 1990 | 1.13 billion BoP, current US$ | +55.3% |
| 1991 | 1.59 billion BoP, current US$ | +40.4% |
| 1992 | 1.38 billion BoP, current US$ | -13.5% |
| 1993 | 1.44 billion BoP, current US$ | +4.9% |
| 1994 | 2.59 billion BoP, current US$ | +79.4% |
| 1995 | 3.87 billion BoP, current US$ | +49.4% |
| 1996 | 4.95 billion BoP, current US$ | +28.0% |
| 1997 | 4.41 billion BoP, current US$ | -10.9% |
| 1998 | 4.22 billion BoP, current US$ | -4.3% |
| 1999 | 3.97 billion BoP, current US$ | -6.0% |
| 2000 | 4.84 billion BoP, current US$ | +22.1% |
| 2001 | 2.74 billion BoP, current US$ | -43.3% |
| 2002 | 3.44 billion BoP, current US$ | +25.3% |
| 2003 | 5.02 billion BoP, current US$ | +46.0% |
| 2004 | 7.20 billion BoP, current US$ | +43.4% |
| 2005 | 8.33 billion BoP, current US$ | +15.8% |
| 2006 | 12.56 billion BoP, current US$ | +50.8% |
| 2007 | 21.83 billion BoP, current US$ | +73.8% |
| 2008 | 19.54 billion BoP, current US$ | -10.5% |
| 2009 | 17.40 billion BoP, current US$ | -10.9% |
| 2010 | 28.22 billion BoP, current US$ | +62.2% |
| 2011 | 29.65 billion BoP, current US$ | +5.1% |
| 2012 | 30.60 billion BoP, current US$ | +3.2% |
| 2013 | 28.32 billion BoP, current US$ | -7.5% |
| 2014 | 28.00 billion BoP, current US$ | -1.1% |
| 2015 | 23.69 billion BoP, current US$ | -15.4% |
| 2016 | 29.89 billion BoP, current US$ | +26.2% |
| 2017 | 34.07 billion BoP, current US$ | +14.0% |
| 2018 | 38.22 billion BoP, current US$ | +12.2% |
| 2019 | 35.24 billion BoP, current US$ | -7.8% |
| 2020 | 34.83 billion BoP, current US$ | -1.2% |
| 2021 | 66.00 billion BoP, current US$ | +89.5% |
| 2022 | 65.80 billion BoP, current US$ | -0.3% |
| 2023 | 32.17 billion BoP, current US$ | -51.1% |
| 2024 | 49.73 billion BoP, current US$ | +54.6% |
| 2025 | 41.23 billion BoP, current US$ | -17.1% |
South Korea compared with similar countries
- South Korea's 41.23 billion BoP, current US$ is above the median for high income countries, which is 1.46 billion BoP, current US$, 28.2× the median. (70 countries reporting)
- South Korea's 41.23 billion BoP, current US$ is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 43.49 million BoP, current US$, 948.0× the median. (30 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$) in South Korea 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1974 | +600.0% | 2.00 million BoP, current US$ | 14.00 million BoP, current US$ |
| 1985 | +571.6% | 90.50 million BoP, current US$ | 607.80 million BoP, current US$ |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 10.60 million BoP, current US$ | 1.00 million BoP, current US$ | 28.00 million BoP, current US$ | 9 |
| 1980s | 442.40 million BoP, current US$ | 42.90 million BoP, current US$ | 1.27 billion BoP, current US$ | 10 |
| 1990s | 2.96 billion BoP, current US$ | 1.13 billion BoP, current US$ | 4.95 billion BoP, current US$ | 10 |
| 2000s | 10.29 billion BoP, current US$ | 2.74 billion BoP, current US$ | 21.83 billion BoP, current US$ | 10 |
| 2010s | 30.59 billion BoP, current US$ | 23.69 billion BoP, current US$ | 38.22 billion BoP, current US$ | 10 |
| 2020s | 48.29 billion BoP, current US$ | 32.17 billion BoP, current US$ | 66.00 billion BoP, current US$ | 6 |
Countries ranked near South Korea
- 13 Denmark 52.76 billion BoP, current US$ compare
- 14 Spain 47.19 billion BoP, current US$ compare
- 15 British Virgin Islands 47.15 billion BoP, current US$ compare
- 17 India 38.21 billion BoP, current US$ compare
- 18 Switzerland 32.31 billion BoP, current US$ compare
- 19 Brazil 30.18 billion BoP, current US$ compare
More economy & growth data for South Korea
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, annual growth rate 7.89 % change on previous year (2025)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, per unit of GDP 0.0085 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, per capita 307.17 units per person (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, annual growth rate 2.74 % change on previous year (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, per unit of GDP 0.0062 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, per capita 224.29 units per person (2025)
- IMF holdings of currency, US dollar, annual growth rate 4.58 % change on previous year (2025)
- IMF holdings of currency, US dollar, per unit of GDP 0.0047 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- IMF holdings of currency, US dollar, per capita 168.75 units per person (2025)
- IMF holdings of currency, SDR, annual growth rate -0.4147 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is foreign direct investment, net outflows in South Korea?
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows in South Korea was 41.23 billion 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 South Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 66.00 billion BoP, current US$ in 2021.
- What is the lowest foreign direct investment, net outflows recorded in South Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.00 million BoP, current US$ in 1972.
- How does South Korea rank for foreign direct investment, net outflows?
- South Korea ranks 16th out of 193 countries with data for 2025.
- Is foreign direct investment, net outflows rising or falling in South Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is up 74.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this South Korea 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.