Foreign direct investment, net outflows in Small states
Small states: Foreign direct investment, net outflows was -7.9% in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Foreign direct investment, net outflows in Small states, 1979–2024
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
Small states recorded -7.9% for foreign direct investment, net outflows in 2024.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 374.0% on the previous year and down 124.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, foreign direct investment, net outflows in Small states peaked at 88.2% in 2018 and was at its lowest, -31.1%, in 2020.
That places Small states 47th out of 47 groups with data for 2024, putting it 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 Small states, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1979 | 0.0% | — |
| 1982 | -0.3% | -6259.9% |
| 1983 | -0.1% | -52.1% |
| 1984 | 0.1% | -175.3% |
| 1985 | 0.3% | +174.1% |
| 1986 | 0.6% | +112.6% |
| 1987 | 0.2% | -61.6% |
| 1988 | -0.5% | -292.7% |
| 1989 | 0.3% | -156.9% |
| 1993 | 0.1% | -51.8% |
| 1996 | 0.5% | +253.3% |
| 1997 | 0.5% | +10.6% |
| 1998 | 0.5% | -9.4% |
| 1999 | 0.9% | +93.6% |
| 2000 | 1.6% | +80.3% |
| 2001 | 2.0% | +23.6% |
| 2002 | 1.7% | -17.3% |
| 2003 | 2.5% | +49.1% |
| 2004 | 8.9% | +260.8% |
| 2005 | 18.7% | +110.4% |
| 2006 | 18.0% | -3.6% |
| 2007 | 20.4% | +13.4% |
| 2008 | 20.4% | -0.1% |
| 2009 | 54.4% | +166.7% |
| 2010 | 30.0% | -44.8% |
| 2011 | 27.9% | -7.1% |
| 2012 | 42.8% | +53.5% |
| 2013 | 16.1% | -62.4% |
| 2014 | 32.9% | +104.0% |
| 2015 | 19.9% | -39.3% |
| 2016 | -6.3% | -131.8% |
| 2017 | 43.1% | -780.4% |
| 2018 | 88.2% | +104.5% |
| 2019 | 71.6% | -18.9% |
| 2020 | -31.1% | -143.5% |
| 2021 | 36.2% | -216.4% |
| 2022 | 10.8% | -70.2% |
| 2023 | -1.7% | -115.5% |
| 2024 | -7.9% | +374.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 1 |
| 1980s | 0.1% | -0.5% | 0.6% | 8 |
| 1990s | 0.5% | 0.1% | 0.9% | 5 |
| 2000s | 14.9% | 1.6% | 54.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 36.6% | -6.3% | 88.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.3% | -31.1% | 36.2% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Small states
More economy & growth data for Small states
- GNI, Atlas method (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.9351 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- GDP (constant 2015 US$), per capita 13,255 constant 2015 US$ per person (2025)
- Gross domestic savings (current US$), annual growth rate 2.28 % change on previous year (2025)
- Gross domestic savings (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.2233 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Gross domestic savings (current US$), per capita 3,701 current US$ per person (2025)
- GNI, Atlas method (current US$), annual growth rate 8.64 % change on previous year (2025)
- GNI (current US$), annual growth rate 8.39 % change on previous year (2025)
- GNI (current US$), per capita 15,854 current US$ per person (2025)
- GNI (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.9564 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- GDP (constant 2015 US$), per unit of GDP 0.7996 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is foreign direct investment, net outflows in Small states?
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows in Small states was -7.9% 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 Small states?
- The highest recorded value was 88.2% in 2018.
- What is the lowest foreign direct investment, net outflows recorded in Small states?
- The lowest recorded value was -31.1% in 2020.
- How does Small states rank for foreign direct investment, net outflows?
- Small states ranks 47th out of 47 groups with data for 2024.
- Is foreign direct investment, net outflows rising or falling in Small states?
- Over the last ten years it is down 124.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Small states 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.