Foreign direct investment, net outflows in Mexico
Mexico: Foreign direct investment, net outflows was 0.6% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Foreign direct investment, net outflows in Mexico, 1979–2025
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 Mexico stood at 0.6%.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 13.4% on the previous year and down 31.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, foreign direct investment, net outflows in Mexico peaked at 1.6% in 2010 and was at its lowest, -0.4%, in 2002.
That places Mexico 70th out of 191 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Foreign direct investment, net outflows in Mexico, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1979 | 0.0% | — |
| 1980 | 0.0% | -17.0% |
| 1981 | 0.0% | +630.0% |
| 1982 | 0.1% | +342.0% |
| 1983 | -0.0% | -146.0% |
| 1984 | 0.0% | -240.4% |
| 1985 | 0.1% | +240.4% |
| 1986 | 0.2% | +110.2% |
| 1987 | -0.0% | -109.3% |
| 1988 | 0.0% | -195.0% |
| 1989 | 0.1% | +150.6% |
| 1990 | 0.1% | +61.8% |
| 1991 | 0.1% | -33.9% |
| 1992 | 0.2% | +215.4% |
| 1993 | -0.0% | -111.6% |
| 1994 | 0.2% | -1021.1% |
| 2001 | 0.6% | +189.5% |
| 2002 | -0.4% | -167.7% |
| 2003 | 0.2% | -140.5% |
| 2004 | 0.6% | +266.7% |
| 2005 | 0.6% | +14.3% |
| 2006 | 0.7% | +2.9% |
| 2007 | 0.8% | +15.5% |
| 2008 | 0.1% | -92.2% |
| 2009 | 1.2% | +1987.0% |
| 2010 | 1.6% | +31.0% |
| 2011 | 0.9% | -41.8% |
| 2012 | 1.5% | +58.9% |
| 2013 | 1.4% | -9.2% |
| 2014 | 0.4% | -69.8% |
| 2015 | 0.9% | +120.7% |
| 2016 | 0.7% | -21.8% |
| 2017 | 0.3% | -63.9% |
| 2018 | 1.0% | +281.2% |
| 2019 | 0.5% | -52.1% |
| 2020 | 0.5% | -3.5% |
| 2021 | -0.0% | -105.1% |
| 2022 | 1.2% | -5277.2% |
| 2023 | 0.0% | -96.2% |
| 2024 | 0.7% | +1484.0% |
| 2025 | 0.6% | -13.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 1 |
| 1980s | 0.0% | -0.0% | 0.2% | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.1% | -0.0% | 0.2% | 5 |
| 2000s | 0.5% | -0.4% | 1.2% | 9 |
| 2010s | 0.9% | 0.3% | 1.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.5% | -0.0% | 1.2% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Mexico
More economy & growth data for Mexico
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 1.43 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 2.06 Percent per annum (2029)
- Gross capital formation (constant 2015 US$), annual growth rate -6.35 % change on previous year (2025)
- Gross capital formation (constant 2015 US$), per unit of GDP 0.1618 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Gross capital formation (constant 2015 US$), per capita 2,247 constant 2015 US$ per person (2025)
- Imports of goods and services (current US$), annual growth rate 5.73 % change on previous year (2025)
- Imports of goods and services (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.4028 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Imports of goods and services (current US$), per capita 5,594 current US$ per person (2025)
- Imports of goods and services (current LCU), annual growth rate 11.11 % change on previous year (2025)
- Imports of goods and services (current LCU), per unit of GDP 7.75 current LCU per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is foreign direct investment, net outflows in Mexico?
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows in Mexico was 0.6% 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 Mexico?
- The highest recorded value was 1.6% in 2010.
- What is the lowest foreign direct investment, net outflows recorded in Mexico?
- The lowest recorded value was -0.4% in 2002.
- How does Mexico rank for foreign direct investment, net outflows?
- Mexico ranks 70th out of 191 countries with data for 2025.
- Is foreign direct investment, net outflows rising or falling in Mexico?
- Over the last ten years it is down 31.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Mexico 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.