Foreign direct investment, net outflows in Germany
Germany: Foreign direct investment, net outflows was 2.1% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Foreign direct investment, net outflows in Germany, 1971–2025
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
Germany recorded 2.1% for foreign direct investment, net outflows in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 15.2% on the previous year and down 38.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, foreign direct investment, net outflows in Germany peaked at 6.3% in 1999 and was at its lowest, 0.3%, in 2004.
Germany ranks 29th of 191 countries 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 Germany, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1971 | 0.5% | — |
| 1972 | 0.6% | +25.4% |
| 1973 | 0.5% | -18.1% |
| 1974 | 0.5% | -3.3% |
| 1975 | 0.4% | -6.7% |
| 1976 | 0.5% | +12.9% |
| 1977 | 0.4% | -20.1% |
| 1978 | 0.5% | +32.7% |
| 1979 | 0.6% | +7.0% |
| 1980 | 0.4% | -23.1% |
| 1981 | 0.5% | +7.5% |
| 1982 | 0.3% | -25.4% |
| 1983 | 0.4% | +8.7% |
| 1984 | 0.6% | +70.7% |
| 1985 | 0.7% | +15.1% |
| 1986 | 0.9% | +19.7% |
| 1987 | 0.6% | -29.2% |
| 1988 | 0.9% | +34.1% |
| 1989 | 0.9% | +11.7% |
| 1990 | 1.4% | +42.3% |
| 1991 | 1.2% | -9.5% |
| 1992 | 0.9% | -29.0% |
| 1993 | 0.8% | -4.8% |
| 1994 | 0.9% | +2.9% |
| 1995 | 1.5% | +76.9% |
| 1996 | 2.0% | +34.6% |
| 1997 | 1.9% | -7.1% |
| 1998 | 4.0% | +109.8% |
| 1999 | 6.3% | +59.3% |
| 2000 | 5.0% | -20.7% |
| 2001 | 3.6% | -28.4% |
| 2002 | 0.8% | -77.1% |
| 2003 | 1.6% | +89.5% |
| 2004 | 0.3% | -79.5% |
| 2005 | 3.1% | +866.5% |
| 2006 | 4.9% | +58.1% |
| 2007 | 4.0% | -16.9% |
| 2008 | 2.6% | -36.2% |
| 2009 | 2.9% | +11.4% |
| 2010 | 4.2% | +47.5% |
| 2011 | 2.8% | -33.3% |
| 2012 | 2.8% | -2.4% |
| 2013 | 2.5% | -11.0% |
| 2014 | 2.7% | +8.6% |
| 2015 | 3.5% | +30.9% |
| 2016 | 3.3% | -5.4% |
| 2017 | 4.0% | +20.1% |
| 2018 | 5.3% | +32.7% |
| 2019 | 4.3% | -17.6% |
| 2020 | 3.7% | -15.1% |
| 2021 | 4.9% | +34.1% |
| 2022 | 3.8% | -22.6% |
| 2023 | 2.5% | -33.2% |
| 2024 | 1.9% | -27.1% |
| 2025 | 2.1% | +15.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 0.5% | 0.4% | 0.6% | 9 |
| 1980s | 0.6% | 0.3% | 0.9% | 10 |
| 1990s | 2.1% | 0.8% | 6.3% | 10 |
| 2000s | 2.9% | 0.3% | 5.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 3.5% | 2.5% | 5.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 3.2% | 1.9% | 4.9% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Germany
- 26 Portugal 2.2% compare
- 27 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 2.2% compare
- 28 Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of 2.2% compare
- 30 Saudi Arabia 2.1% compare
- 31 Finland 2.1% compare
- 32 Aruba 2.1% compare
More economy & growth data for Germany
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 0.7761 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 0.6565 Percent per annum (2029)
- Imports of goods and services (constant 2015 US$), annual growth rate 3.59 % change on previous year (2025)
- Imports of goods and services (constant 2015 US$), per unit of GDP 0.3072 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Imports of goods and services (constant 2015 US$), per capita 18,584 constant 2015 US$ per person (2025)
- External balance on goods and services (current US$), annual growth -32.74 % change on previous year (2025)
- External balance on goods and services (current LCU), annual growth -35.58 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current LCU), annual -1.6 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current LCU), per 0.0077 current LCU per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current LCU), per 466.54 current LCU per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is foreign direct investment, net outflows in Germany?
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows in Germany was 2.1% 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 Germany?
- The highest recorded value was 6.3% in 1999.
- What is the lowest foreign direct investment, net outflows recorded in Germany?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.3% in 2004.
- How does Germany rank for foreign direct investment, net outflows?
- Germany ranks 29th out of 191 countries with data for 2025.
- Is foreign direct investment, net outflows rising or falling in Germany?
- Over the last ten years it is down 38.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Germany 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.