Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$) in Upper middle income
Upper middle income: Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$) was 253.01 billion BoP, current US$ in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Foreign direct investment, net outflows in Upper 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$.
Analysis
The most recent figure for foreign direct investment, net outflows in Upper middle income is 253.01 billion BoP, current US$, measured in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 10.6% on the previous year and up 3.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, foreign direct investment, net outflows in Upper middle income peaked at 306.86 billion BoP, current US$ in 2022 and was at its lowest, 33.37 million BoP, current US$, in 1971.
That places Upper middle income 15th out of 47 groups with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$) in Upper 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 | 46.95 million BoP, current US$ | +40.7% |
| 1973 | 91.65 million BoP, current US$ | +95.2% |
| 1974 | 185.42 million BoP, current US$ | +102.3% |
| 1975 | 294.50 million BoP, current US$ | +58.8% |
| 1976 | 297.12 million BoP, current US$ | +0.9% |
| 1977 | 321.34 million BoP, current US$ | +8.2% |
| 1978 | 419.92 million BoP, current US$ | +30.7% |
| 1979 | 219.24 million BoP, current US$ | -47.8% |
| 1980 | 1.52 billion BoP, current US$ | +591.1% |
| 1981 | 1.19 billion BoP, current US$ | -21.4% |
| 1982 | 865.38 million BoP, current US$ | -27.4% |
| 1983 | 794.59 million BoP, current US$ | -8.2% |
| 1984 | 830.74 million BoP, current US$ | +4.5% |
| 1985 | 1.36 billion BoP, current US$ | +63.2% |
| 1986 | 1.29 billion BoP, current US$ | -5.0% |
| 1987 | 1.57 billion BoP, current US$ | +21.8% |
| 1988 | 1.49 billion BoP, current US$ | -5.2% |
| 1989 | 2.16 billion BoP, current US$ | +45.2% |
| 1990 | 2.24 billion BoP, current US$ | +3.8% |
| 1991 | 3.09 billion BoP, current US$ | +37.5% |
| 1992 | 9.05 billion BoP, current US$ | +193.3% |
| 1993 | 7.48 billion BoP, current US$ | -17.3% |
| 1994 | 10.28 billion BoP, current US$ | +37.4% |
| 1995 | 12.30 billion BoP, current US$ | +19.7% |
| 1996 | 11.89 billion BoP, current US$ | -3.3% |
| 1997 | 16.68 billion BoP, current US$ | +40.3% |
| 1998 | 14.82 billion BoP, current US$ | -11.2% |
| 1999 | 13.92 billion BoP, current US$ | -6.1% |
| 2000 | 10.50 billion BoP, current US$ | -24.6% |
| 2001 | 10.90 billion BoP, current US$ | +3.9% |
| 2002 | 8.18 billion BoP, current US$ | -25.0% |
| 2003 | 17.45 billion BoP, current US$ | +113.3% |
| 2004 | 34.63 billion BoP, current US$ | +98.5% |
| 2005 | 44.06 billion BoP, current US$ | +27.2% |
| 2006 | 90.84 billion BoP, current US$ | +106.2% |
| 2007 | 95.58 billion BoP, current US$ | +5.2% |
| 2008 | 131.64 billion BoP, current US$ | +37.7% |
| 2009 | 85.36 billion BoP, current US$ | -35.2% |
| 2010 | 154.99 billion BoP, current US$ | +81.6% |
| 2011 | 137.64 billion BoP, current US$ | -11.2% |
| 2012 | 153.81 billion BoP, current US$ | +11.7% |
| 2013 | 174.96 billion BoP, current US$ | +13.7% |
| 2014 | 219.20 billion BoP, current US$ | +25.3% |
| 2015 | 244.31 billion BoP, current US$ | +11.5% |
| 2016 | 279.10 billion BoP, current US$ | +14.2% |
| 2017 | 209.45 billion BoP, current US$ | -25.0% |
| 2018 | 205.20 billion BoP, current US$ | -2.0% |
| 2019 | 205.50 billion BoP, current US$ | +0.1% |
| 2020 | 196.02 billion BoP, current US$ | -4.6% |
| 2021 | 252.97 billion BoP, current US$ | +29.0% |
| 2022 | 306.86 billion BoP, current US$ | +21.3% |
| 2023 | 300.11 billion BoP, current US$ | -2.2% |
| 2024 | 283.13 billion BoP, current US$ | -5.7% |
| 2025 | 253.01 billion BoP, current US$ | -10.6% |
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$) in Upper middle income changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | +591.1% | 219.24 million BoP, current US$ | 1.52 billion BoP, current US$ |
| 1992 | +193.3% | 3.09 billion BoP, current US$ | 9.05 billion BoP, current US$ |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 194.91 million BoP, current US$ | 33.37 million BoP, current US$ | 419.92 million BoP, current US$ | 10 |
| 1980s | 1.31 billion BoP, current US$ | 794.59 million BoP, current US$ | 2.16 billion BoP, current US$ | 10 |
| 1990s | 10.17 billion BoP, current US$ | 2.24 billion BoP, current US$ | 16.68 billion BoP, current US$ | 10 |
| 2000s | 52.91 billion BoP, current US$ | 8.18 billion BoP, current US$ | 131.64 billion BoP, current US$ | 10 |
| 2010s | 198.42 billion BoP, current US$ | 137.64 billion BoP, current US$ | 279.10 billion BoP, current US$ | 10 |
| 2020s | 265.35 billion BoP, current US$ | 196.02 billion BoP, current US$ | 306.86 billion BoP, current US$ | 6 |
Countries ranked near Upper middle income
- 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
- 16 South Korea 41.23 billion BoP, current US$ compare
- 17 India 38.21 billion BoP, current US$ compare
- 18 Switzerland 32.31 billion BoP, current US$ compare
More economy & growth data for Upper middle income
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), gaps 228.01 billion BoP, current US$ (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (constant 2015 US$) 3.62 % change on previous year (2025)
- Gross capital formation (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.3372 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Gross capital formation (current US$), per capita 3,522 current US$ per person (2024)
- Gross capital formation (constant 2015 US$), annual growth rate 2.14 % change on previous year (2025)
- Gross capital formation (constant 2015 US$), per unit of GDP 0.3068 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Gross capital formation (constant 2015 US$), per capita 3,341 constant 2015 US$ per person (2025)
- Imports of goods and services (current US$), annual growth rate 4.7 % change on previous year (2025)
- Imports of goods and services (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.2376 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Imports of goods and services (current US$), per capita 2,587 current US$ per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is foreign direct investment, net outflows in Upper middle income?
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows in Upper middle income was 253.01 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 Upper middle income?
- The highest recorded value was 306.86 billion BoP, current US$ in 2022.
- What is the lowest foreign direct investment, net outflows recorded in Upper middle income?
- The lowest recorded value was 33.37 million BoP, current US$ in 1971.
- How does Upper middle income rank for foreign direct investment, net outflows?
- Upper middle income ranks 15th out of 47 groups with data for 2025.
- Is foreign direct investment, net outflows rising or falling in Upper middle income?
- Over the last ten years it is up 3.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Upper 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.
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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.