Foreign direct investment, net outflows in Lower middle income
Lower middle income: Foreign direct investment, net outflows was 39.97 billion BoP, current US$ in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Foreign direct investment, net outflows in Lower 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$.
Analysis
The most recent figure for foreign direct investment, net outflows in Lower middle income is 39.97 billion BoP, current US$, measured in 2025. That is the highest value across all 56 years on record.
That represents a change of up 26.2% on the previous year and up 173.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, foreign direct investment, net outflows in Lower middle income peaked at 39.97 billion BoP, current US$ in 2025 and was at its lowest, -3.50 million BoP, current US$, in 1975.
That places Lower middle income 21st out of 45 groups with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Foreign direct investment, net outflows in Lower middle income, year by year
| Year | BoP, current US$ | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 0 BoP, current US$ | — |
| 1971 | 0 BoP, current US$ | — |
| 1972 | 1.00 million BoP, current US$ | — |
| 1973 | 5.00 million BoP, current US$ | +400.0% |
| 1974 | 9.24 million BoP, current US$ | +84.8% |
| 1975 | -3.50 million BoP, current US$ | -137.8% |
| 1976 | 10.04 million BoP, current US$ | -387.1% |
| 1977 | 67.98 million BoP, current US$ | +577.0% |
| 1978 | 67.56 million BoP, current US$ | -0.6% |
| 1979 | 52.53 million BoP, current US$ | -22.3% |
| 1980 | 50.35 million BoP, current US$ | -4.1% |
| 1981 | 45.00 million BoP, current US$ | -10.6% |
| 1982 | 22.71 million BoP, current US$ | -49.5% |
| 1983 | 123.55 million BoP, current US$ | +444.0% |
| 1984 | 89.18 million BoP, current US$ | -27.8% |
| 1985 | 44.95 million BoP, current US$ | -49.6% |
| 1986 | 495.97 million BoP, current US$ | +1003.4% |
| 1987 | 147.50 million BoP, current US$ | -70.3% |
| 1988 | 184.56 million BoP, current US$ | +25.1% |
| 1989 | 1.04 billion BoP, current US$ | +465.8% |
| 1990 | 756.82 million BoP, current US$ | -27.5% |
| 1991 | 576.33 million BoP, current US$ | -23.8% |
| 1992 | 514.27 million BoP, current US$ | -10.8% |
| 1993 | 1.43 billion BoP, current US$ | +179.0% |
| 1994 | 815.79 million BoP, current US$ | -43.1% |
| 1995 | 621.20 million BoP, current US$ | -23.9% |
| 1996 | 1.55 billion BoP, current US$ | +148.9% |
| 1997 | 1.09 billion BoP, current US$ | -29.7% |
| 1998 | 1.17 billion BoP, current US$ | +7.5% |
| 1999 | 1.09 billion BoP, current US$ | -6.6% |
| 2000 | 1.42 billion BoP, current US$ | +30.1% |
| 2001 | 1.65 billion BoP, current US$ | +15.9% |
| 2002 | 2.69 billion BoP, current US$ | +63.6% |
| 2003 | 3.00 billion BoP, current US$ | +11.5% |
| 2004 | 4.12 billion BoP, current US$ | +37.3% |
| 2005 | 5.24 billion BoP, current US$ | +27.2% |
| 2006 | 19.00 billion BoP, current US$ | +262.5% |
| 2007 | 21.89 billion BoP, current US$ | +15.2% |
| 2008 | 27.57 billion BoP, current US$ | +25.9% |
| 2009 | 22.87 billion BoP, current US$ | -17.0% |
| 2010 | 25.09 billion BoP, current US$ | +9.7% |
| 2011 | 19.41 billion BoP, current US$ | -22.6% |
| 2012 | 16.76 billion BoP, current US$ | -13.7% |
| 2013 | 9.73 billion BoP, current US$ | -42.0% |
| 2014 | 22.65 billion BoP, current US$ | +132.8% |
| 2015 | 14.61 billion BoP, current US$ | -35.5% |
| 2016 | 12.21 billion BoP, current US$ | -16.4% |
| 2017 | 19.38 billion BoP, current US$ | +58.7% |
| 2018 | 16.77 billion BoP, current US$ | -13.4% |
| 2019 | 16.56 billion BoP, current US$ | -1.3% |
| 2020 | 16.20 billion BoP, current US$ | -2.1% |
| 2021 | 23.40 billion BoP, current US$ | +44.4% |
| 2022 | 21.68 billion BoP, current US$ | -7.3% |
| 2023 | 18.05 billion BoP, current US$ | -16.8% |
| 2024 | 31.68 billion BoP, current US$ | +75.6% |
| 2025 | 39.97 billion BoP, current US$ | +26.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 20.99 million BoP, current US$ | -3.50 million BoP, current US$ | 67.98 million BoP, current US$ | 10 |
| 1980s | 224.81 million BoP, current US$ | 22.71 million BoP, current US$ | 1.04 billion BoP, current US$ | 10 |
| 1990s | 961.53 million BoP, current US$ | 514.27 million BoP, current US$ | 1.55 billion BoP, current US$ | 10 |
| 2000s | 10.95 billion BoP, current US$ | 1.42 billion BoP, current US$ | 27.57 billion BoP, current US$ | 10 |
| 2010s | 17.32 billion BoP, current US$ | 9.73 billion BoP, current US$ | 25.09 billion BoP, current US$ | 10 |
| 2020s | 25.16 billion BoP, current US$ | 16.20 billion BoP, current US$ | 39.97 billion BoP, current US$ | 6 |
Countries ranked near Lower middle income
- 18 Denmark 30.70 billion BoP, current US$ compare
- 19 Brazil 30.18 billion BoP, current US$ compare
- 20 Saudi Arabia 27.03 billion BoP, current US$ compare
- 21 Switzerland 25.32 billion BoP, current US$ compare
- 22 Italy 22.90 billion BoP, current US$ compare
- 23 Israel 14.47 billion BoP, current US$ compare
- 24 Malaysia 13.04 billion BoP, current US$ compare
More economy & growth data for Lower middle income
- External balance on goods and services -3.1% (2025)
- Gross capital formation 6.2% (2025)
- Gross capital formation 31.1% (2025)
- Imports of goods and services 1.92 trillion current US$ (2025)
- Imports of goods and services 1.75 trillion constant 2015 US$ (2025)
- Trade in services 14.1% (2025)
- Imports of goods and services 26.3% (2025)
- Manufacturing, value added 1.40 trillion constant 2015 US$ (2025)
- Manufacturing, value added 1.24 trillion current US$ (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added 2.7% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is foreign direct investment, net outflows in Lower middle income?
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows in Lower middle income was 39.97 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 Lower middle income?
- The highest recorded value was 39.97 billion BoP, current US$ in 2025.
- What is the lowest foreign direct investment, net outflows recorded in Lower middle income?
- The lowest recorded value was -3.50 million BoP, current US$ in 1975.
- How does Lower middle income rank for foreign direct investment, net outflows?
- Lower middle income ranks 21st out of 45 groups with data for 2025.
- Is foreign direct investment, net outflows rising or falling in Lower middle income?
- Over the last ten years it is up 173.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Lower 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.