Foreign direct investment, net outflows in Japan
Japan: Foreign direct investment, net outflows was 4.9% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Foreign direct investment, net outflows in Japan, 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 Japan stood at 4.9%.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.8% on the previous year and up 60.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, foreign direct investment, net outflows in Japan peaked at 5.0% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 0.1%, in 1971.
That places Japan 8th out of 191 countries with data for 2025, putting it 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 Japan, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 0.2% | — |
| 1971 | 0.1% | -10.2% |
| 1972 | 0.2% | +51.7% |
| 1973 | 0.4% | +93.8% |
| 1974 | 0.4% | -4.8% |
| 1975 | 0.3% | -19.4% |
| 1976 | 0.3% | +0.5% |
| 1977 | 0.2% | -32.9% |
| 1978 | 0.2% | +2.6% |
| 1979 | 0.3% | +17.4% |
| 1980 | 0.2% | -21.5% |
| 1981 | 0.4% | +86.1% |
| 1982 | 0.4% | -0.3% |
| 1983 | 0.3% | -27.5% |
| 1984 | 0.4% | +55.9% |
| 1985 | 0.4% | +1.8% |
| 1986 | 0.7% | +50.5% |
| 1987 | 0.8% | +14.7% |
| 1988 | 1.1% | +45.6% |
| 1989 | 1.5% | +31.2% |
| 1990 | 1.6% | +7.1% |
| 1991 | 0.8% | -45.6% |
| 1992 | 0.4% | -49.9% |
| 1993 | 0.3% | -29.5% |
| 1994 | 0.4% | +18.2% |
| 1995 | 0.4% | +13.0% |
| 1996 | 0.5% | +31.0% |
| 1997 | 0.5% | -0.4% |
| 1998 | 0.5% | -8.9% |
| 1999 | 0.5% | +8.4% |
| 2000 | 0.9% | +72.6% |
| 2001 | 0.8% | -10.0% |
| 2002 | 0.7% | -9.4% |
| 2003 | 0.8% | +3.5% |
| 2004 | 0.8% | +9.1% |
| 2005 | 1.1% | +28.9% |
| 2006 | 1.3% | +18.1% |
| 2007 | 1.6% | +26.1% |
| 2008 | 2.2% | +39.5% |
| 2009 | 1.4% | -37.3% |
| 2010 | 1.4% | -0.7% |
| 2011 | 1.9% | +35.7% |
| 2012 | 1.9% | -0.2% |
| 2013 | 3.0% | +59.0% |
| 2014 | 2.8% | -6.3% |
| 2015 | 3.1% | +10.3% |
| 2016 | 3.5% | +14.5% |
| 2017 | 3.4% | -1.3% |
| 2018 | 3.1% | -9.9% |
| 2019 | 4.9% | +58.4% |
| 2020 | 2.9% | -41.2% |
| 2021 | 4.0% | +38.7% |
| 2022 | 3.9% | -2.0% |
| 2023 | 4.5% | +14.2% |
| 2024 | 5.0% | +10.2% |
| 2025 | 4.9% | -0.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 0.3% | 0.1% | 0.4% | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.6% | 0.2% | 1.5% | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.6% | 0.3% | 1.6% | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.1% | 0.7% | 2.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.9% | 1.4% | 4.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 4.2% | 2.9% | 5.0% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Japan
- 5 United Arab Emirates 14.0% compare
- 6 Ireland 11.0% compare
- 7 Denmark 7.2% compare
- 9 Cyprus 3.8% compare
- 10 Solomon Islands 3.3% compare
- 11 Kosovo 3.3% compare
- 11 Kosovo (UNSCR 1244) 3.3% compare
More economy & growth data for Japan
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 1.03 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 0.4463 Percent per annum (2029)
- Exports of goods and services (current LCU), annual growth rate 7.45 % change on previous year (2024)
- Exports of goods and services (current LCU), per unit of GDP 33.27 current LCU per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Exports of goods and services (current LCU), per capita 1.12 million current LCU per person (2024)
- Exports of goods and services (constant 2015 US$), annual growth rate 0.9068 % change on previous year (2024)
- Exports of goods and services (constant 2015 US$), per unit of GDP 0.2217 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Exports of goods and services (constant 2015 US$), per capita 7,492 constant 2015 US$ per person (2024)
- Gross fixed capital formation (current US$), annual growth rate -4.56 % change on previous year (2024)
- Gross fixed capital formation (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.2781 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is foreign direct investment, net outflows in Japan?
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows in Japan was 4.9% 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 Japan?
- The highest recorded value was 5.0% in 2024.
- What is the lowest foreign direct investment, net outflows recorded in Japan?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.1% in 1971.
- How does Japan rank for foreign direct investment, net outflows?
- Japan ranks 8th out of 191 countries with data for 2025.
- Is foreign direct investment, net outflows rising or falling in Japan?
- Over the last ten years it is up 60.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Japan 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.