Foreign direct investment, net outflows in Singapore
Singapore: Foreign direct investment, net outflows was 15.6% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Foreign direct investment, net outflows in Singapore, 1972–2025
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 Singapore stood at 15.6%.
The figure is up 40.5% on the previous year and up 6.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, foreign direct investment, net outflows in Singapore peaked at 22.6% in 2007 and was at its lowest, -0.1%, in 1981.
That places Singapore 4th 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 Singapore, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1972 | 0.7% | — |
| 1973 | 0.7% | -5.4% |
| 1974 | 0.6% | -18.6% |
| 1975 | 0.7% | +17.4% |
| 1976 | 0.7% | +5.4% |
| 1977 | 1.3% | +81.4% |
| 1978 | 1.5% | +17.2% |
| 1979 | 1.8% | +19.3% |
| 1980 | 0.8% | -54.4% |
| 1981 | -0.1% | -112.6% |
| 1982 | 1.9% | -1927.1% |
| 1983 | 0.3% | -85.4% |
| 1984 | 0.5% | +69.0% |
| 1985 | 1.2% | +165.4% |
| 1986 | 1.0% | -21.3% |
| 1987 | 1.0% | +0.9% |
| 1988 | 0.5% | -52.9% |
| 1989 | 2.9% | +523.8% |
| 1990 | 5.6% | +94.3% |
| 1991 | 1.2% | -79.4% |
| 1992 | 2.5% | +118.4% |
| 1993 | 3.6% | +40.6% |
| 1994 | 6.2% | +74.9% |
| 1995 | 8.5% | +37.1% |
| 1996 | 9.8% | +14.7% |
| 1997 | 12.4% | +27.0% |
| 1998 | 4.2% | -66.0% |
| 1999 | 9.6% | +128.0% |
| 2000 | 7.1% | -26.0% |
| 2001 | 22.5% | +215.7% |
| 2002 | 3.1% | -86.4% |
| 2003 | 3.8% | +24.5% |
| 2004 | 11.4% | +199.3% |
| 2005 | 9.8% | -14.0% |
| 2006 | 13.5% | +37.4% |
| 2007 | 22.6% | +67.4% |
| 2008 | 4.1% | -81.8% |
| 2009 | 16.5% | +301.2% |
| 2010 | 14.8% | -10.5% |
| 2011 | 11.4% | -22.7% |
| 2012 | 6.9% | -39.2% |
| 2013 | 14.7% | +112.1% |
| 2014 | 16.7% | +13.2% |
| 2015 | 14.7% | -11.9% |
| 2016 | 12.4% | -15.3% |
| 2017 | 18.9% | +51.6% |
| 2018 | 6.2% | -67.4% |
| 2019 | 18.4% | +198.6% |
| 2020 | 12.2% | -33.7% |
| 2021 | 17.2% | +41.5% |
| 2022 | 12.7% | -26.5% |
| 2023 | 10.0% | -20.9% |
| 2024 | 11.1% | +10.9% |
| 2025 | 15.6% | +40.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 1.0% | 0.6% | 1.8% | 8 |
| 1980s | 1.0% | -0.1% | 2.9% | 10 |
| 1990s | 6.4% | 1.2% | 12.4% | 10 |
| 2000s | 11.4% | 3.1% | 22.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 13.5% | 6.2% | 18.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 13.1% | 10.0% | 17.2% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Singapore
- 1 Malta 145.6% compare
- 2 Luxembourg 116.4% compare
- 3 Hong Kong, China 19.7% compare
- 5 United Arab Emirates 14.0% compare
- 6 Ireland 11.0% compare
- 7 Denmark 7.2% compare
More economy & growth data for Singapore
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 1.99 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 2.5 Percent per annum (2029)
- Final consumption expenditure (constant 2015 US$), per capita 32,698 constant 2015 US$ per person (2025)
- Gross national expenditure (current US$), annual growth rate 7.5 % change on previous year (2025)
- Gross national expenditure (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.6383 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Gross national expenditure (current US$), per capita 63,070 current US$ per person (2025)
- Gross national expenditure (current LCU), annual growth rate 5.18 % change on previous year (2025)
- Gross national expenditure (current LCU), per unit of GDP 0.8345 current LCU per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Gross national expenditure (current LCU), per capita 82,461 current LCU per person (2025)
- Gross national expenditure (constant 2015 US$), annual growth rate 3.62 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is foreign direct investment, net outflows in Singapore?
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows in Singapore was 15.6% 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 Singapore?
- The highest recorded value was 22.6% in 2007.
- What is the lowest foreign direct investment, net outflows recorded in Singapore?
- The lowest recorded value was -0.1% in 1981.
- How does Singapore rank for foreign direct investment, net outflows?
- Singapore ranks 4th out of 191 countries with data for 2025.
- Is foreign direct investment, net outflows rising or falling in Singapore?
- Over the last ten years it is up 6.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Singapore 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.