Foreign direct investment, net outflows in Iceland
Iceland: Foreign direct investment, net outflows was -2.2% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Foreign direct investment, net outflows in Iceland, 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 % of GDP.
Analysis
The most recent figure for foreign direct investment, net outflows in Iceland is -2.2%, measured in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 344.4% on the previous year and down 186.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, foreign direct investment, net outflows in Iceland peaked at 46.5% in 2007 and was at its lowest, -28.6%, in 2017.
That places Iceland 187th out of 191 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Foreign direct investment, net outflows in Iceland, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1976 | 0.0% | — |
| 1977 | 0.0% | — |
| 1978 | 0.0% | — |
| 1979 | 0.0% | — |
| 1980 | 0.0% | — |
| 1981 | 0.0% | — |
| 1982 | 0.0% | — |
| 1983 | 0.0% | — |
| 1984 | 0.0% | — |
| 1985 | 0.0% | — |
| 1986 | 0.1% | — |
| 1987 | 0.0% | -75.9% |
| 1988 | 0.0% | +42.1% |
| 1989 | 0.1% | +702.5% |
| 1990 | -0.2% | -263.4% |
| 1991 | -0.1% | -49.5% |
| 1992 | 0.4% | -433.2% |
| 1993 | 0.2% | -42.0% |
| 1994 | 0.4% | +81.6% |
| 1995 | 0.3% | -16.5% |
| 1996 | 0.8% | +145.3% |
| 1997 | 0.7% | -11.6% |
| 1998 | 0.9% | +19.0% |
| 1999 | 1.4% | +56.8% |
| 2000 | 4.1% | +200.2% |
| 2001 | 4.0% | -2.6% |
| 2002 | 3.6% | -8.9% |
| 2003 | 3.3% | -8.8% |
| 2004 | 18.5% | +457.8% |
| 2005 | 41.2% | +123.0% |
| 2006 | 31.4% | -23.8% |
| 2007 | 46.5% | +48.1% |
| 2008 | -20.7% | -144.5% |
| 2009 | 17.2% | -183.0% |
| 2010 | -17.9% | -204.1% |
| 2011 | 0.2% | -100.9% |
| 2012 | -21.4% | -13826.4% |
| 2013 | 3.2% | -115.1% |
| 2014 | 0.1% | -96.4% |
| 2015 | 2.5% | +2051.9% |
| 2016 | -8.6% | -437.2% |
| 2017 | -28.6% | +233.0% |
| 2018 | -0.6% | -98.0% |
| 2019 | 0.6% | -203.1% |
| 2020 | -1.7% | -392.1% |
| 2021 | -0.2% | -90.6% |
| 2022 | 0.8% | -627.3% |
| 2023 | 1.0% | +18.7% |
| 2024 | 0.9% | -10.5% |
| 2025 | -2.2% | -344.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 4 |
| 1980s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.1% | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.5% | -0.2% | 1.4% | 10 |
| 2000s | 14.9% | -20.7% | 46.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | -7.0% | -28.6% | 3.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | -0.2% | -2.2% | 1.0% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Iceland
- 184 Tuvalu -1.5% compare
- 185 Trinidad and Tobago -1.5% compare
- 186 Seychelles -1.9% compare
- 188 Belgium -2.7% compare
- 189 Turks and Caicos Islands -3.9% compare
- 190 Cayman Islands -22.4% compare
More economy & growth data for Iceland
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 1.96 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 2.48 Percent per annum (2029)
- Gross capital formation (current US$), annual growth rate 17.72 % change on previous year (2025)
- Gross capital formation (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.2657 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Gross capital formation (current US$), per capita 26,128 current US$ per person (2025)
- Gross capital formation (current LCU), annual growth rate 9.6 % change on previous year (2025)
- Gross capital formation (current LCU), per unit of GDP 34.13 current LCU per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Gross capital formation (current LCU), per capita 3.36 million current LCU per person (2025)
- Gross capital formation (constant 2015 US$), annual growth rate 5.88 % change on previous year (2025)
- Gross capital formation (constant 2015 US$), per unit of GDP 0.1585 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is foreign direct investment, net outflows in Iceland?
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows in Iceland was -2.2% 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 Iceland?
- The highest recorded value was 46.5% in 2007.
- What is the lowest foreign direct investment, net outflows recorded in Iceland?
- The lowest recorded value was -28.6% in 2017.
- How does Iceland rank for foreign direct investment, net outflows?
- Iceland ranks 187th out of 191 countries with data for 2025.
- Is foreign direct investment, net outflows rising or falling in Iceland?
- Over the last ten years it is down 186.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Iceland 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.