Foreign direct investment, net outflows in East Asia & Pacific
East Asia & Pacific: Foreign direct investment, net outflows was 1.7% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Foreign direct investment, net outflows in East Asia & Pacific, 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 % of GDP.
Analysis
In 2025, foreign direct investment, net outflows in East Asia & Pacific stood at 1.7%.
The figure is down 19.7% on the previous year and down 26.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, foreign direct investment, net outflows in East Asia & Pacific peaked at 2.6% in 2022 and was at its lowest, 0.1%, in 1971.
East Asia & Pacific ranks 3rd of 47 groups on this measure, in the top 10%.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Foreign direct investment, net outflows in East Asia & Pacific, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 0.2% | — |
| 1971 | 0.1% | -13.3% |
| 1972 | 0.2% | +41.3% |
| 1973 | 0.4% | +87.4% |
| 1974 | 0.4% | -10.5% |
| 1975 | 0.3% | -22.5% |
| 1976 | 0.3% | +4.4% |
| 1977 | 0.2% | -28.6% |
| 1978 | 0.2% | +1.7% |
| 1979 | 0.2% | +15.9% |
| 1980 | 0.2% | -12.3% |
| 1981 | 0.3% | +59.5% |
| 1982 | 0.3% | -7.0% |
| 1983 | 0.3% | -14.7% |
| 1984 | 0.4% | +50.1% |
| 1985 | 0.5% | +17.4% |
| 1986 | 0.7% | +45.0% |
| 1987 | 0.8% | +21.5% |
| 1988 | 1.2% | +39.4% |
| 1989 | 1.3% | +15.0% |
| 1990 | 1.4% | +1.7% |
| 1991 | 0.7% | -45.8% |
| 1992 | 0.7% | -10.1% |
| 1993 | 0.7% | +2.6% |
| 1994 | 0.8% | +16.0% |
| 1995 | 0.9% | +11.1% |
| 1996 | 1.0% | +15.5% |
| 1997 | 1.1% | +4.6% |
| 1998 | 0.8% | -19.9% |
| 1999 | 0.9% | +8.1% |
| 2000 | 1.7% | +84.5% |
| 2001 | 1.4% | -16.6% |
| 2002 | 1.0% | -31.0% |
| 2003 | 1.1% | +12.0% |
| 2004 | 1.3% | +21.2% |
| 2005 | 1.0% | -27.4% |
| 2006 | 1.9% | +94.0% |
| 2007 | 2.2% | +18.8% |
| 2008 | 2.3% | +2.8% |
| 2009 | 1.7% | -23.0% |
| 2010 | 2.1% | +20.4% |
| 2011 | 1.9% | -8.7% |
| 2012 | 1.8% | -5.7% |
| 2013 | 2.0% | +13.2% |
| 2014 | 2.5% | +22.6% |
| 2015 | 2.3% | -8.0% |
| 2016 | 2.5% | +7.0% |
| 2017 | 2.3% | -7.5% |
| 2018 | 1.8% | -19.4% |
| 2019 | 2.1% | +15.9% |
| 2020 | 1.9% | -11.9% |
| 2021 | 2.2% | +15.4% |
| 2022 | 2.6% | +19.8% |
| 2023 | 2.1% | -17.9% |
| 2024 | 2.1% | -1.4% |
| 2025 | 1.7% | -19.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 0.3% | 0.1% | 0.4% | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.6% | 0.2% | 1.3% | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.9% | 0.7% | 1.4% | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.6% | 1.0% | 2.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.1% | 1.8% | 2.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.1% | 1.7% | 2.6% | 6 |
Countries ranked near East Asia & Pacific
- 1 Malta 145.6% compare
- 2 Luxembourg 116.4% compare
- 3 Hong Kong, China 19.7% compare
- 4 Singapore 15.6% compare
- 5 United Arab Emirates 14.0% compare
- 6 Ireland 11.0% compare
More economy & growth data for East Asia & Pacific
- Manufacturing, value added (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.223 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Gross capital formation (constant 2015 US$), per unit of GDP 0.3301 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Gross capital formation (constant 2015 US$), per capita 4,646 constant 2015 US$ per person (2025)
- Imports of goods and services (current US$), annual growth rate 5.97 % change on previous year (2025)
- Imports of goods and services (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.2845 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Imports of goods and services (current US$), per capita 4,005 current US$ per person (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (constant 2015 US$) 4.01 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (constant 2015 US$) 0.0547 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (constant 2015 US$) 769.41 constant 2015 US$ per person (2025)
- GDP 33.66 trillion current US$ (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is foreign direct investment, net outflows in East Asia & Pacific?
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows in East Asia & Pacific was 1.7% 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 East Asia & Pacific?
- The highest recorded value was 2.6% in 2022.
- What is the lowest foreign direct investment, net outflows recorded in East Asia & Pacific?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.1% in 1971.
- How does East Asia & Pacific rank for foreign direct investment, net outflows?
- East Asia & Pacific ranks 3rd out of 47 groups with data for 2025.
- Is foreign direct investment, net outflows rising or falling in East Asia & Pacific?
- Over the last ten years it is down 26.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this East Asia & Pacific 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 (% of GDP). 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, and is divided by GDP.