Foreign direct investment, net outflows in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD)

Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD): Foreign direct investment, net outflows was 0.1% in 2024. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2024)
0.1%
Change on year
down 5.5%
Rank
40th
of 47 groups
All-time high
0.7%
in 2008
All-time low
-0.2%
in 1993
Years of data
48
1976–2024

Foreign direct investment, net outflows in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD), 1976–2024

-0.200.20.40.60.8197620002024

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 Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD) is 0.1%, measured in 2024.

That represents a change of down 5.5% on the previous year and down 14.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, foreign direct investment, net outflows in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD) peaked at 0.7% in 2008 and was at its lowest, -0.2%, in 1993.

Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD) ranks 40th of 47 groups on this measure, 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 Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD), year by year

Annual values for Foreign direct investment, net outflows (% of GDP) in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD), 1976 to 2024.
Year % of GDP Change
1976 0.0%
1977 0.1% +1258.7%
1978 0.0% -37.5%
1979 0.0% -24.5%
1980 0.0% +3.9%
1981 0.0% -55.8%
1982 0.0% -4.6%
1983 0.0% -24.0%
1984 0.0% -28.2%
1985 -0.0% -129.3%
1986 0.0% -169.2%
1987 0.1% +3140.0%
1988 0.0% -36.6%
1989 0.0% +29.1%
1991 0.1% +140.0%
1992 -0.0% -121.9%
1993 -0.2% +706.2%
1994 0.1% -141.0%
1995 0.0% -36.9%
1996 0.0% -15.2%
1997 0.1% +181.3%
1998 0.1% -2.4%
1999 0.1% +28.3%
2000 0.1% -40.0%
2001 0.1% +1.2%
2002 0.0% -72.7%
2003 0.1% +270.2%
2004 0.3% +212.4%
2005 0.2% -15.3%
2006 0.3% +19.1%
2007 0.6% +124.5%
2008 0.7% +20.4%
2009 0.3% -58.4%
2010 0.4% +25.3%
2011 0.2% -51.7%
2012 0.3% +68.0%
2013 0.2% -32.9%
2014 0.1% -39.3%
2015 0.1% +8.3%
2016 0.2% +23.9%
2017 0.1% -17.3%
2018 0.2% +25.7%
2019 0.1% -45.0%
2020 0.1% -4.6%
2021 0.0% -78.4%
2022 0.1% +603.7%
2023 0.1% -19.2%
2024 0.1% -5.5%

Biggest year-on-year movements

Years where Foreign direct investment, net outflows in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD) changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.

YearChange FromTo
1987 +3140.0% 0.0% 0.1%
1977 +1258.7% 0.0% 0.1%
1993 -706.2% -0.0% -0.2%
2022 +603.7% 0.0% 0.1%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 0.0% 0.0% 0.1% 4
1980s 0.0% -0.0% 0.1% 10
1990s 0.0% -0.2% 0.1% 9
2000s 0.3% 0.0% 0.7% 10
2010s 0.2% 0.1% 0.4% 10
2020s 0.1% 0.0% 0.1% 5

Countries ranked near Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD)

  1. 37 Qatar 1.6% compare
  2. 38 Lebanon 1.5% compare
  3. 39 Honduras 1.5% compare
  4. 40 United States 1.4% compare
  5. 41 Slovenia 1.3% compare
  6. 42 Serbia 1.3% compare
  7. 43 Brazil 1.3% compare

See the full ranking of 238 places →

More economy & growth data for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD)

All data for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD) →

Frequently asked questions

What is foreign direct investment, net outflows in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD)?
Foreign direct investment, net outflows in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD) was 0.1% in 2024, 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 Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD)?
The highest recorded value was 0.7% in 2008.
What is the lowest foreign direct investment, net outflows recorded in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD)?
The lowest recorded value was -0.2% in 1993.
How does Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD) rank for foreign direct investment, net outflows?
Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD) ranks 40th out of 47 groups with data for 2024.
Is foreign direct investment, net outflows rising or falling in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD)?
Over the last ten years it is down 14.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD) 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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Foreign direct investment, net outflows in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD). Statizoid, drawing on 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. Retrieved 18 September 2026, from https://economy.statizoid.com/stat/foreign-direct-investment-net-outflows-percent-of-gdp/middle-east-north-africa-afghanistan-and-pakistan-ida-and-ibrd/

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About this data

Indicator
Foreign direct investment, net outflows (% of GDP)
Unit
% of GDP
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
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
238 places, 9,462 data points, 1970–2025
Last refreshed

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.