Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$) in Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea: Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$) was 538.99 million BoP, current US$ in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Foreign direct investment, net outflows in Papua New Guinea, 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$.
Analysis
The most recent figure for foreign direct investment, net outflows in Papua New Guinea is 538.99 million BoP, current US$, measured in 2025.
The figure is down 30.0% on the previous year and up 6,348.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, foreign direct investment, net outflows in Papua New Guinea peaked at 2.46 billion BoP, current US$ in 2022 and was at its lowest, -33.34 million BoP, current US$, in 1995.
That places Papua New Guinea 60th out of 193 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$) in Papua New Guinea, year by year
| Year | BoP, current US$ | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1976 | -1.88 million BoP, current US$ | — |
| 1977 | 1.77 million BoP, current US$ | -194.1% |
| 1978 | 4.86 million BoP, current US$ | +174.3% |
| 1979 | 3.23 million BoP, current US$ | -33.6% |
| 1980 | 15.74 million BoP, current US$ | +387.5% |
| 1981 | 617,320 BoP, current US$ | -96.1% |
| 1982 | 1.77 million BoP, current US$ | +187.3% |
| 1983 | 1.12 million BoP, current US$ | -36.6% |
| 1984 | 2.27 million BoP, current US$ | +102.1% |
| 1985 | 917,967 BoP, current US$ | -59.6% |
| 1986 | -8.71 million BoP, current US$ | -1049.1% |
| 1987 | -22.23 million BoP, current US$ | +155.2% |
| 1988 | 33.84 million BoP, current US$ | -252.2% |
| 1989 | -17.87 million BoP, current US$ | -152.8% |
| 1990 | 26,799 BoP, current US$ | -100.1% |
| 1991 | 3.88 million BoP, current US$ | +14373.2% |
| 1992 | 2.04 million BoP, current US$ | -47.3% |
| 1993 | 101,795 BoP, current US$ | -95.0% |
| 1994 | 2.76 million BoP, current US$ | +2614.3% |
| 1995 | -33.34 million BoP, current US$ | -1306.7% |
| 1996 | -1.46 million BoP, current US$ | -95.6% |
| 1997 | -262,472 BoP, current US$ | -82.0% |
| 1998 | -187,518 BoP, current US$ | -28.6% |
| 1999 | 1.53 million BoP, current US$ | -916.6% |
| 2000 | 564,238 BoP, current US$ | -63.2% |
| 2001 | 642,792 BoP, current US$ | +13.9% |
| 2002 | 1.00 million BoP, current US$ | +55.9% |
| 2003 | 49.48 million BoP, current US$ | +4836.1% |
| 2004 | 2.32 million BoP, current US$ | -95.3% |
| 2005 | 8.22 million BoP, current US$ | +254.8% |
| 2006 | 117.70 million BoP, current US$ | +1331.9% |
| 2007 | 37.91 million BoP, current US$ | -67.8% |
| 2008 | 78.03 million BoP, current US$ | +105.8% |
| 2009 | 6.50 million BoP, current US$ | -91.7% |
| 2010 | 7.06 million BoP, current US$ | +8.7% |
| 2011 | 314.22 million BoP, current US$ | +4349.7% |
| 2012 | 92.81 million BoP, current US$ | -70.5% |
| 2013 | 9.02 million BoP, current US$ | -90.3% |
| 2014 | 59.23 million BoP, current US$ | +556.5% |
| 2015 | -8.63 million BoP, current US$ | -114.6% |
| 2016 | 292.30 million BoP, current US$ | -3488.7% |
| 2017 | 368.66 million BoP, current US$ | +26.1% |
| 2018 | 575.48 million BoP, current US$ | +56.1% |
| 2019 | 1.22 billion BoP, current US$ | +111.2% |
| 2020 | 996.76 million BoP, current US$ | -18.0% |
| 2021 | 1.61 billion BoP, current US$ | +61.7% |
| 2022 | 2.46 billion BoP, current US$ | +52.4% |
| 2023 | 329.93 million BoP, current US$ | -86.6% |
| 2024 | 769.57 million BoP, current US$ | +133.3% |
| 2025 | 538.99 million BoP, current US$ | -30.0% |
Papua New Guinea compared with similar countries
- Papua New Guinea's 538.99 million BoP, current US$ is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 38.34 million BoP, current US$, 14.1× the median. (45 countries reporting)
- Papua New Guinea's 538.99 million BoP, current US$ is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 43.49 million BoP, current US$, 12.4× the median. (30 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$) in Papua New Guinea 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | +14373.2% | 26,799 BoP, current US$ | 3.88 million BoP, current US$ |
| 2003 | +4836.1% | 1.00 million BoP, current US$ | 49.48 million BoP, current US$ |
| 2011 | +4349.7% | 7.06 million BoP, current US$ | 314.22 million BoP, current US$ |
| 2016 | +3488.7% | -8.63 million BoP, current US$ | 292.30 million BoP, current US$ |
| 1994 | +2614.3% | 101,795 BoP, current US$ | 2.76 million BoP, current US$ |
| 1995 | -1306.7% | 2.76 million BoP, current US$ | -33.34 million BoP, current US$ |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 1.99 million BoP, current US$ | -1.88 million BoP, current US$ | 4.86 million BoP, current US$ | 4 |
| 1980s | 746,224 BoP, current US$ | -22.23 million BoP, current US$ | 33.84 million BoP, current US$ | 10 |
| 1990s | -2.49 million BoP, current US$ | -33.34 million BoP, current US$ | 3.88 million BoP, current US$ | 10 |
| 2000s | 30.24 million BoP, current US$ | 564,238 BoP, current US$ | 117.70 million BoP, current US$ | 10 |
| 2010s | 292.54 million BoP, current US$ | -8.63 million BoP, current US$ | 1.22 billion BoP, current US$ | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.12 billion BoP, current US$ | 329.93 million BoP, current US$ | 2.46 billion BoP, current US$ | 6 |
Countries ranked near Papua New Guinea
- 57 Vietnam 700.00 million BoP, current US$ compare
- 58 Egypt 695.90 million BoP, current US$ compare
- 59 Bahrain 550.00 million BoP, current US$ compare
- 61 Kazakhstan 468.52 million BoP, current US$ compare
- 62 Kenya 430.24 million BoP, current US$ compare
- 63 Iraq 421.90 million BoP, current US$ compare
More economy & growth data for Papua New Guinea
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 1.47 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 3.11 Percent per annum (2029)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, annual growth rate -52.52 % change on previous year (2024)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, per unit of GDP 0.0004 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, per capita 1.09 units per person (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, annual growth rate -51.15 % change on previous year (2024)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, per unit of GDP 0.0003 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, per capita 0.7945 units per person (2025)
- IMF holdings of currency, US dollar, annual growth rate 40.57 % change on previous year (2025)
- IMF holdings of currency, US dollar, per unit of GDP 0.0269 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is foreign direct investment, net outflows in Papua New Guinea?
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows in Papua New Guinea was 538.99 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 Papua New Guinea?
- The highest recorded value was 2.46 billion BoP, current US$ in 2022.
- What is the lowest foreign direct investment, net outflows recorded in Papua New Guinea?
- The lowest recorded value was -33.34 million BoP, current US$ in 1995.
- How does Papua New Guinea rank for foreign direct investment, net outflows?
- Papua New Guinea ranks 60th out of 193 countries with data for 2025.
- Is foreign direct investment, net outflows rising or falling in Papua New Guinea?
- Over the last ten years it is up 6,348.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Papua New Guinea 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 — 50 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.