Foreign direct investment, net outflows in Middle income
Middle income: Foreign direct investment, net outflows was 267.98 billion BoP, current US$ in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Foreign direct investment, net outflows in 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$.
Analysis
Middle income recorded 267.98 billion BoP, current US$ for foreign direct investment, net outflows in 2025.
That represents a change of down 14.3% on the previous year and up 3.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, foreign direct investment, net outflows in Middle income peaked at 327.83 billion BoP, current US$ in 2022 and was at its lowest, 33.37 million BoP, current US$, in 1971.
Middle income ranks 10th of 45 groups on this measure, in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Foreign direct investment, net outflows in Middle income, year by year
| Year | BoP, current US$ | 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 | 194.66 million BoP, current US$ | +101.4% |
| 1975 | 291.00 million BoP, current US$ | +49.5% |
| 1976 | 307.16 million BoP, current US$ | +5.6% |
| 1977 | 389.32 million BoP, current US$ | +26.7% |
| 1978 | 487.48 million BoP, current US$ | +25.2% |
| 1979 | 271.77 million BoP, current US$ | -44.2% |
| 1980 | 1.57 billion BoP, current US$ | +476.1% |
| 1981 | 1.24 billion BoP, current US$ | -21.0% |
| 1982 | 888.09 million BoP, current US$ | -28.2% |
| 1983 | 918.13 million BoP, current US$ | +3.4% |
| 1984 | 919.92 million BoP, current US$ | +0.2% |
| 1985 | 1.40 billion BoP, current US$ | +52.3% |
| 1986 | 1.78 billion BoP, current US$ | +27.4% |
| 1987 | 1.72 billion BoP, current US$ | -3.8% |
| 1988 | 1.67 billion BoP, current US$ | -2.6% |
| 1989 | 3.21 billion BoP, current US$ | +91.6% |
| 1990 | 3.00 billion BoP, current US$ | -6.4% |
| 1991 | 3.66 billion BoP, current US$ | +22.0% |
| 1992 | 9.56 billion BoP, current US$ | +161.2% |
| 1993 | 8.91 billion BoP, current US$ | -6.8% |
| 1994 | 11.09 billion BoP, current US$ | +24.5% |
| 1995 | 12.92 billion BoP, current US$ | +16.5% |
| 1996 | 13.44 billion BoP, current US$ | +4.0% |
| 1997 | 17.77 billion BoP, current US$ | +32.2% |
| 1998 | 15.99 billion BoP, current US$ | -10.0% |
| 1999 | 15.01 billion BoP, current US$ | -6.1% |
| 2000 | 11.92 billion BoP, current US$ | -20.6% |
| 2001 | 12.55 billion BoP, current US$ | +5.3% |
| 2002 | 10.87 billion BoP, current US$ | -13.4% |
| 2003 | 20.45 billion BoP, current US$ | +88.1% |
| 2004 | 38.75 billion BoP, current US$ | +89.5% |
| 2005 | 49.30 billion BoP, current US$ | +27.2% |
| 2006 | 109.85 billion BoP, current US$ | +122.8% |
| 2007 | 117.47 billion BoP, current US$ | +6.9% |
| 2008 | 159.21 billion BoP, current US$ | +35.5% |
| 2009 | 108.23 billion BoP, current US$ | -32.0% |
| 2010 | 180.08 billion BoP, current US$ | +66.4% |
| 2011 | 157.05 billion BoP, current US$ | -12.8% |
| 2012 | 170.57 billion BoP, current US$ | +8.6% |
| 2013 | 184.68 billion BoP, current US$ | +8.3% |
| 2014 | 241.85 billion BoP, current US$ | +31.0% |
| 2015 | 258.93 billion BoP, current US$ | +7.1% |
| 2016 | 291.48 billion BoP, current US$ | +12.6% |
| 2017 | 228.71 billion BoP, current US$ | -21.5% |
| 2018 | 220.90 billion BoP, current US$ | -3.4% |
| 2019 | 222.03 billion BoP, current US$ | +0.5% |
| 2020 | 212.27 billion BoP, current US$ | -4.4% |
| 2021 | 276.81 billion BoP, current US$ | +30.4% |
| 2022 | 327.83 billion BoP, current US$ | +18.4% |
| 2023 | 318.16 billion BoP, current US$ | -3.0% |
| 2024 | 312.52 billion BoP, current US$ | -1.8% |
| 2025 | 267.98 billion BoP, current US$ | -14.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 215.90 million BoP, current US$ | 33.37 million BoP, current US$ | 487.48 million BoP, current US$ | 10 |
| 1980s | 1.53 billion BoP, current US$ | 888.09 million BoP, current US$ | 3.21 billion BoP, current US$ | 10 |
| 1990s | 11.14 billion BoP, current US$ | 3.00 billion BoP, current US$ | 17.77 billion BoP, current US$ | 10 |
| 2000s | 63.86 billion BoP, current US$ | 10.87 billion BoP, current US$ | 159.21 billion BoP, current US$ | 10 |
| 2010s | 215.63 billion BoP, current US$ | 157.05 billion BoP, current US$ | 291.48 billion BoP, current US$ | 10 |
| 2020s | 285.93 billion BoP, current US$ | 212.27 billion BoP, current US$ | 327.83 billion BoP, current US$ | 6 |
Countries ranked near Middle income
- 7 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 86.93 billion BoP, current US$ compare
- 8 Hong Kong, China 80.54 billion BoP, current US$ compare
- 9 France 80.27 billion BoP, current US$ compare
- 10 United Arab Emirates 77.17 billion BoP, current US$ compare
- 11 Ireland 67.14 billion BoP, current US$ compare
- 12 British Virgin Islands 59.45 billion BoP, current US$ compare
- 13 Canada 57.17 billion BoP, current US$ compare
More economy & growth data for Middle income
- General government final consumption expenditure 5.96 trillion current US$ (2024)
- Households and NPISHs Final consumption expenditure per capita growth 3.9% (2024)
- Households and NPISHs Final consumption expenditure per capita 3,291 constant 2015 US$ (2024)
- Households and NPISHs Final consumption expenditure 4.7% (2024)
- Households and NPISHs Final consumption expenditure 19.67 trillion constant 2015 US$ (2024)
- Households and NPISHs Final consumption expenditure 20.43 trillion current US$ (2024)
- External balance on goods and services 1.1% (2025)
- Trade 48.5% (2025)
- General government final consumption expenditure 15.3% (2024)
- Industry (including construction), value added 13.23 trillion current US$ (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is foreign direct investment, net outflows in Middle income?
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows in Middle income was 267.98 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 Middle income?
- The highest recorded value was 327.83 billion BoP, current US$ in 2022.
- What is the lowest foreign direct investment, net outflows recorded in Middle income?
- The lowest recorded value was 33.37 million BoP, current US$ in 1971.
- How does Middle income rank for foreign direct investment, net outflows?
- Middle income ranks 10th out of 45 groups with data for 2025.
- Is foreign direct investment, net outflows rising or falling in Middle income?
- Over the last ten years it is up 3.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this 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.