Foreign direct investment, net outflows in Kuwait
Kuwait: Foreign direct investment, net outflows was 1.9% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Foreign direct investment, net outflows in Kuwait, 1975–2025
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
Kuwait recorded 1.9% for foreign direct investment, net outflows in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 70.4% on the previous year and down 59.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, foreign direct investment, net outflows in Kuwait peaked at 13.4% in 2022 and was at its lowest, -10.4%, in 2003.
That places Kuwait 34th out of 191 countries with data for 2025, putting it 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 Kuwait, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1975 | 0.8% | — |
| 1976 | 0.8% | +7.6% |
| 1977 | 0.4% | -55.6% |
| 1978 | 0.6% | +64.7% |
| 1979 | -0.8% | -224.7% |
| 1980 | 1.4% | -286.9% |
| 1981 | -0.6% | -142.3% |
| 1982 | 0.5% | -183.0% |
| 1983 | 1.2% | +130.6% |
| 1984 | 0.4% | -62.1% |
| 1985 | 0.3% | -25.3% |
| 1986 | 1.4% | +325.0% |
| 1987 | 3.5% | +150.4% |
| 1988 | 2.3% | -33.5% |
| 1989 | 4.1% | +77.4% |
| 1990 | -1.3% | -131.8% |
| 1991 | -1.7% | +30.4% |
| 1992 | 6.1% | -460.1% |
| 1993 | 2.7% | -56.2% |
| 1994 | -6.1% | -328.9% |
| 1995 | -3.8% | -38.5% |
| 1996 | 5.5% | -247.0% |
| 1997 | -3.2% | -157.8% |
| 1998 | -7.2% | +125.4% |
| 1999 | 0.1% | -101.1% |
| 2000 | -0.8% | -1152.9% |
| 2001 | -5.5% | +582.4% |
| 2002 | -0.2% | -96.3% |
| 2003 | -10.4% | +5053.4% |
| 2004 | 4.3% | -141.9% |
| 2005 | 6.4% | +46.5% |
| 2006 | 8.1% | +27.0% |
| 2007 | 8.5% | +5.6% |
| 2008 | 6.2% | -27.7% |
| 2009 | 8.1% | +31.3% |
| 2010 | 5.1% | -37.0% |
| 2011 | 7.0% | +37.0% |
| 2012 | 3.9% | -44.6% |
| 2013 | 9.6% | +146.8% |
| 2014 | 8.1% | -15.7% |
| 2015 | 4.7% | -41.1% |
| 2016 | 5.9% | +23.3% |
| 2017 | 5.8% | -0.3% |
| 2018 | 2.1% | -63.2% |
| 2019 | 3.3% | +55.0% |
| 2020 | 2.8% | -14.5% |
| 2021 | -1.5% | -153.2% |
| 2022 | 13.4% | -985.6% |
| 2023 | 6.8% | -49.4% |
| 2024 | 6.4% | -5.2% |
| 2025 | 1.9% | -70.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 0.4% | -0.8% | 0.8% | 5 |
| 1980s | 1.4% | -0.6% | 4.1% | 10 |
| 1990s | -0.9% | -7.2% | 6.1% | 10 |
| 2000s | 2.5% | -10.4% | 8.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | 5.5% | 2.1% | 9.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 5.0% | -1.5% | 13.4% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Kuwait
More economy & growth data for Kuwait
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 1.82 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 2.61 Percent per annum (2029)
- Imports of goods and services (constant 2015 US$), annual growth rate -7.05 % change on previous year (2024)
- Imports of goods and services (constant 2015 US$), per unit of GDP 0.3247 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Imports of goods and services (constant 2015 US$), per capita 10,669 constant 2015 US$ per person (2024)
- External balance on goods and services (current US$), annual growth -12.04 % change on previous year (2024)
- External balance on goods and services (current LCU), annual growth -12.18 % change on previous year (2024)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current LCU), annual 5.51 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current LCU), per 0.0016 current LCU per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current LCU), per 52.53 current LCU per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is foreign direct investment, net outflows in Kuwait?
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows in Kuwait was 1.9% 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 Kuwait?
- The highest recorded value was 13.4% in 2022.
- What is the lowest foreign direct investment, net outflows recorded in Kuwait?
- The lowest recorded value was -10.4% in 2003.
- How does Kuwait rank for foreign direct investment, net outflows?
- Kuwait ranks 34th out of 191 countries with data for 2025.
- Is foreign direct investment, net outflows rising or falling in Kuwait?
- Over the last ten years it is down 59.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Kuwait 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.