Foreign direct investment, net outflows in High income
High income: Foreign direct investment, net outflows was 1.7% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Foreign direct investment, net outflows in High 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 % of GDP.
Analysis
High income recorded 1.7% for foreign direct investment, net outflows in 2025.
That represents a change of down 8.3% on the previous year and down 54.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, foreign direct investment, net outflows in High income peaked at 6.7% in 2007 and was at its lowest, 0.4%, in 1982.
High income ranks 2nd 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 High income, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 0.6% | — |
| 1971 | 0.5% | -15.9% |
| 1972 | 0.5% | +6.2% |
| 1973 | 0.7% | +28.5% |
| 1974 | 0.5% | -24.3% |
| 1975 | 0.6% | +20.7% |
| 1976 | 0.6% | -9.0% |
| 1977 | 0.5% | -9.8% |
| 1978 | 0.6% | +10.5% |
| 1979 | 0.8% | +41.9% |
| 1980 | 0.6% | -21.0% |
| 1981 | 0.6% | -9.6% |
| 1982 | 0.4% | -27.4% |
| 1983 | 0.5% | +11.1% |
| 1984 | 0.6% | +21.1% |
| 1985 | 0.5% | -9.9% |
| 1986 | 0.8% | +54.5% |
| 1987 | 1.0% | +34.8% |
| 1988 | 1.2% | +13.1% |
| 1989 | 1.4% | +20.7% |
| 1990 | 1.5% | +3.7% |
| 1991 | 1.1% | -26.7% |
| 1992 | 1.0% | -7.0% |
| 1993 | 1.1% | +7.6% |
| 1994 | 1.3% | +17.0% |
| 1995 | 1.5% | +15.6% |
| 1996 | 1.5% | +6.6% |
| 1997 | 1.9% | +20.8% |
| 1998 | 2.9% | +53.5% |
| 1999 | 4.3% | +49.7% |
| 2000 | 4.8% | +11.8% |
| 2001 | 2.9% | -40.7% |
| 2002 | 2.2% | -23.5% |
| 2003 | 2.1% | -3.7% |
| 2004 | 3.1% | +49.3% |
| 2005 | 3.5% | +10.9% |
| 2006 | 4.9% | +41.2% |
| 2007 | 6.7% | +36.4% |
| 2008 | 5.0% | -26.1% |
| 2009 | 3.0% | -38.6% |
| 2010 | 3.3% | +7.1% |
| 2011 | 3.9% | +19.9% |
| 2012 | 3.1% | -21.8% |
| 2013 | 3.3% | +8.6% |
| 2014 | 2.9% | -13.2% |
| 2015 | 3.8% | +32.0% |
| 2016 | 3.7% | -2.4% |
| 2017 | 3.4% | -7.5% |
| 2018 | 1.2% | -66.4% |
| 2019 | 2.3% | +97.0% |
| 2020 | 1.3% | -40.8% |
| 2021 | 3.5% | +161.4% |
| 2022 | 2.8% | -19.5% |
| 2023 | 1.1% | -61.5% |
| 2024 | 1.9% | +71.9% |
| 2025 | 1.7% | -8.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 0.6% | 0.5% | 0.8% | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.7% | 0.4% | 1.4% | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.8% | 1.0% | 4.3% | 10 |
| 2000s | 3.8% | 2.1% | 6.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 3.1% | 1.2% | 3.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.1% | 1.1% | 3.5% | 6 |
Countries ranked near High income
- 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
More economy & growth data for High income
- Final consumption expenditure (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.7606 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Final consumption expenditure (current US$), annual growth rate 4.57 % change on previous year (2024)
- Households and NPISHs Final consumption expenditure (constant 2015) 24,947 constant 2015 US$ per person (2024)
- Households and NPISHs Final consumption expenditure (constant 2015) 0.49 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Households and NPISHs Final consumption expenditure (constant 2015) 2.13 % change on previous year (2024)
- GDP (constant 2015 US$), per unit of GDP 0.7899 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Gross value added at basic prices (GVA) (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.9305 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2021)
- Gross value added at basic prices (GVA) (current US$), per capita 42,382 current US$ per person (2021)
- GDP (current US$), annual growth rate 6.5 % change on previous year (2025)
- GDP (current US$), per capita 53,997 current US$ per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is foreign direct investment, net outflows in High income?
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows in High income 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 High income?
- The highest recorded value was 6.7% in 2007.
- What is the lowest foreign direct investment, net outflows recorded in High income?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.4% in 1982.
- How does High income rank for foreign direct investment, net outflows?
- High income ranks 2nd out of 47 groups with data for 2025.
- Is foreign direct investment, net outflows rising or falling in High income?
- Over the last ten years it is down 54.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this High 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 (% 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.