Foreign direct investment, net outflows in Switzerland
Switzerland: Foreign direct investment, net outflows was 2.4% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Foreign direct investment, net outflows in Switzerland, 1983–2025
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
Switzerland recorded 2.4% for foreign direct investment, net outflows in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 184.2% on the previous year and down 86.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, foreign direct investment, net outflows in Switzerland peaked at 26.4% in 2016 and was at its lowest, -14.7%, in 2020.
Switzerland ranks 21st of 191 countries on this measure, 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 Switzerland, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1983 | 0.4% | — |
| 1984 | 1.0% | +142.5% |
| 1985 | 4.1% | +295.9% |
| 1986 | 0.9% | -77.7% |
| 1987 | 0.6% | -30.4% |
| 1988 | 4.0% | +531.1% |
| 1989 | 4.4% | +9.5% |
| 1990 | 2.0% | -52.9% |
| 1991 | 2.0% | -2.5% |
| 1992 | 2.0% | +1.3% |
| 1993 | 2.9% | +45.6% |
| 1994 | 3.5% | +19.2% |
| 1995 | 3.2% | -10.3% |
| 1996 | 4.8% | +53.0% |
| 1997 | 6.3% | +30.5% |
| 1998 | 6.7% | +5.9% |
| 1999 | 11.7% | +75.7% |
| 2000 | 16.8% | +43.0% |
| 2001 | 6.5% | -61.4% |
| 2002 | 3.2% | -50.4% |
| 2003 | 4.9% | +52.6% |
| 2004 | 7.7% | +56.6% |
| 2005 | 12.7% | +66.3% |
| 2006 | 19.0% | +49.5% |
| 2007 | 13.5% | -29.1% |
| 2008 | 5.3% | -60.9% |
| 2009 | 7.9% | +50.5% |
| 2010 | 12.1% | +53.2% |
| 2011 | 6.0% | -51.0% |
| 2012 | 7.8% | +30.6% |
| 2013 | 1.7% | -77.6% |
| 2014 | 1.5% | -11.5% |
| 2015 | 17.8% | +1050.4% |
| 2016 | 26.4% | +48.3% |
| 2017 | 7.8% | -70.4% |
| 2018 | -3.7% | -146.9% |
| 2019 | 8.5% | -332.2% |
| 2020 | -14.7% | -272.7% |
| 2021 | -11.1% | -24.4% |
| 2022 | -3.6% | -67.6% |
| 2023 | 1.0% | -128.0% |
| 2024 | -2.9% | -385.0% |
| 2025 | 2.4% | -184.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 2.2% | 0.4% | 4.4% | 7 |
| 1990s | 4.5% | 2.0% | 11.7% | 10 |
| 2000s | 9.7% | 3.2% | 19.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 8.6% | -3.7% | 26.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | -4.8% | -14.7% | 2.4% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Switzerland
More economy & growth data for Switzerland
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 0.6894 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 1.2 Percent per annum (2029)
- Exports of goods and services (current LCU), annual growth rate 11.37 % change on previous year (2025)
- Exports of goods and services (current LCU), per unit of GDP 0.6489 current LCU per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Exports of goods and services (current LCU), per capita 74,473 current LCU per person (2025)
- Exports of goods and services (constant 2015 US$), annual growth rate 4.81 % change on previous year (2025)
- Exports of goods and services (constant 2015 US$), per unit of GDP 0.5554 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Exports of goods and services (constant 2015 US$), per capita 63,747 constant 2015 US$ per person (2025)
- Gross fixed capital formation (current US$), annual growth rate 5.74 % change on previous year (2025)
- Gross fixed capital formation (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.26 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is foreign direct investment, net outflows in Switzerland?
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows in Switzerland was 2.4% 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 Switzerland?
- The highest recorded value was 26.4% in 2016.
- What is the lowest foreign direct investment, net outflows recorded in Switzerland?
- The lowest recorded value was -14.7% in 2020.
- How does Switzerland rank for foreign direct investment, net outflows?
- Switzerland ranks 21st out of 191 countries with data for 2025.
- Is foreign direct investment, net outflows rising or falling in Switzerland?
- Over the last ten years it is down 86.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Switzerland 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.