Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$) in Low & middle income
Low & middle income: Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$) was 298.03 billion BoP, current US$ in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Foreign direct investment, net outflows in Low & middle income, 1970–2025
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$.
Analysis
The most recent figure for foreign direct investment, net outflows in Low & middle income is 298.03 billion BoP, current US$, measured in 2025.
That represents a change of down 4.8% on the previous year and up 14.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, foreign direct investment, net outflows in Low & middle income peaked at 327.06 billion BoP, current US$ in 2022 and was at its lowest, 33.37 million BoP, current US$, in 1971.
That places Low & middle income 12th out of 47 groups with data for 2025, putting it in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$) in Low & middle income, year by year
| Year | BoP, current US$ | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 39.62 million BoP, current US$ | — |
| 1971 | 33.37 million BoP, current US$ | -15.8% |
| 1972 | 47.95 million BoP, current US$ | +43.7% |
| 1973 | 96.65 million BoP, current US$ | +101.5% |
| 1974 | 195.35 million BoP, current US$ | +102.1% |
| 1975 | 299.60 million BoP, current US$ | +53.4% |
| 1976 | 313.62 million BoP, current US$ | +4.7% |
| 1977 | 394.14 million BoP, current US$ | +25.7% |
| 1978 | 487.97 million BoP, current US$ | +23.8% |
| 1979 | 281.91 million BoP, current US$ | -42.2% |
| 1980 | 1.80 billion BoP, current US$ | +537.8% |
| 1981 | 1.28 billion BoP, current US$ | -28.9% |
| 1982 | 1.05 billion BoP, current US$ | -17.6% |
| 1983 | 981.43 million BoP, current US$ | -6.8% |
| 1984 | 979.91 million BoP, current US$ | -0.2% |
| 1985 | 1.66 billion BoP, current US$ | +69.2% |
| 1986 | 1.52 billion BoP, current US$ | -8.3% |
| 1987 | 1.80 billion BoP, current US$ | +18.2% |
| 1988 | 1.89 billion BoP, current US$ | +4.9% |
| 1989 | 3.29 billion BoP, current US$ | +74.4% |
| 1990 | 3.01 billion BoP, current US$ | -8.4% |
| 1991 | 4.04 billion BoP, current US$ | +34.1% |
| 1992 | 9.69 billion BoP, current US$ | +139.8% |
| 1993 | 9.00 billion BoP, current US$ | -7.1% |
| 1994 | 11.22 billion BoP, current US$ | +24.7% |
| 1995 | 12.92 billion BoP, current US$ | +15.1% |
| 1996 | 13.44 billion BoP, current US$ | +4.0% |
| 1997 | 18.29 billion BoP, current US$ | +36.1% |
| 1998 | 15.12 billion BoP, current US$ | -17.3% |
| 1999 | 15.26 billion BoP, current US$ | +0.9% |
| 2000 | 12.65 billion BoP, current US$ | -17.1% |
| 2001 | 12.40 billion BoP, current US$ | -2.0% |
| 2002 | 11.10 billion BoP, current US$ | -10.5% |
| 2003 | 20.64 billion BoP, current US$ | +86.1% |
| 2004 | 39.07 billion BoP, current US$ | +89.2% |
| 2005 | 49.79 billion BoP, current US$ | +27.5% |
| 2006 | 110.50 billion BoP, current US$ | +121.9% |
| 2007 | 117.75 billion BoP, current US$ | +6.6% |
| 2008 | 159.36 billion BoP, current US$ | +35.3% |
| 2009 | 108.12 billion BoP, current US$ | -32.2% |
| 2010 | 182.21 billion BoP, current US$ | +68.5% |
| 2011 | 157.87 billion BoP, current US$ | -13.4% |
| 2012 | 172.76 billion BoP, current US$ | +9.4% |
| 2013 | 186.33 billion BoP, current US$ | +7.9% |
| 2014 | 242.32 billion BoP, current US$ | +30.0% |
| 2015 | 259.83 billion BoP, current US$ | +7.2% |
| 2016 | 292.68 billion BoP, current US$ | +12.6% |
| 2017 | 230.24 billion BoP, current US$ | -21.3% |
| 2018 | 223.05 billion BoP, current US$ | -3.1% |
| 2019 | 222.94 billion BoP, current US$ | -0.0% |
| 2020 | 211.76 billion BoP, current US$ | -5.0% |
| 2021 | 276.13 billion BoP, current US$ | +30.4% |
| 2022 | 327.06 billion BoP, current US$ | +18.4% |
| 2023 | 318.79 billion BoP, current US$ | -2.5% |
| 2024 | 313.08 billion BoP, current US$ | -1.8% |
| 2025 | 298.03 billion BoP, current US$ | -4.8% |
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$) in Low & middle income changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | +537.8% | 281.91 million BoP, current US$ | 1.80 billion BoP, current US$ |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 219.02 million BoP, current US$ | 33.37 million BoP, current US$ | 487.97 million BoP, current US$ | 10 |
| 1980s | 1.62 billion BoP, current US$ | 979.91 million BoP, current US$ | 3.29 billion BoP, current US$ | 10 |
| 1990s | 11.20 billion BoP, current US$ | 3.01 billion BoP, current US$ | 18.29 billion BoP, current US$ | 10 |
| 2000s | 64.14 billion BoP, current US$ | 11.10 billion BoP, current US$ | 159.36 billion BoP, current US$ | 10 |
| 2010s | 217.02 billion BoP, current US$ | 157.87 billion BoP, current US$ | 292.68 billion BoP, current US$ | 10 |
| 2020s | 290.81 billion BoP, current US$ | 211.76 billion BoP, current US$ | 327.06 billion BoP, current US$ | 6 |
Countries ranked near Low & middle income
- 9 Singapore 94.20 billion BoP, current US$ compare
- 10 Ireland 86.44 billion BoP, current US$ compare
- 11 United Arab Emirates 63.35 billion BoP, current US$ compare
- 12 Canada 56.93 billion BoP, current US$ compare
- 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
More economy & growth data for Low & middle income
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), gaps 267.99 billion BoP, current US$ (2025)
- Services, value added (constant 2015 US$), per capita 3,305 constant 2015 US$ per person (2025)
- Services, value added (current US$), annual growth rate 6.51 % change on previous year (2025)
- Services, value added (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.5761 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Services, value added (current US$), per capita 3,519 current US$ per person (2025)
- Services, value added (constant 2015 US$), annual growth rate 5.02 % change on previous year (2025)
- Services, value added (constant 2015 US$), per unit of GDP 0.5412 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- GDP (current US$), per capita 6,107 current US$ per person (2025)
- GDP (constant 2015 US$), per unit of GDP 0.9385 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- GDP (constant 2015 US$), annual growth rate 4.53 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is foreign direct investment, net outflows in Low & middle income?
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows in Low & middle income was 298.03 billion BoP, current US$ 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 Low & middle income?
- The highest recorded value was 327.06 billion BoP, current US$ in 2022.
- What is the lowest foreign direct investment, net outflows recorded in Low & middle income?
- The lowest recorded value was 33.37 million BoP, current US$ in 1971.
- How does Low & middle income rank for foreign direct investment, net outflows?
- Low & middle income ranks 12th out of 47 groups with data for 2025.
- Is foreign direct investment, net outflows rising or falling in Low & middle income?
- Over the last ten years it is up 14.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Low & middle income 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.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 56 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
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.