Foreign direct investment, net outflows in Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago: Foreign direct investment, net outflows was -1.5% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Foreign direct investment, net outflows in Trinidad and Tobago, 1975–2025
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
The most recent figure for foreign direct investment, net outflows in Trinidad and Tobago is -1.5%, measured in 2025. That is the lowest value across all 42 years on record.
The figure is down 173.2% on the previous year and down 414.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, foreign direct investment, net outflows in Trinidad and Tobago peaked at 4.8% in 2022 and was at its lowest, -1.5%, in 2025.
That places Trinidad and Tobago 185th out of 191 countries with data for 2025, 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 Trinidad and Tobago, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1975 | 0.0% | — |
| 1976 | 0.0% | — |
| 1977 | 0.0% | — |
| 1978 | 0.0% | — |
| 1979 | 0.0% | — |
| 1980 | 0.0% | — |
| 1981 | 0.0% | — |
| 1982 | 0.0% | — |
| 1983 | 0.0% | — |
| 1984 | 0.0% | -4.5% |
| 1985 | 0.1% | +148.2% |
| 1986 | 0.2% | +37.7% |
| 1987 | -0.0% | -125.5% |
| 1988 | 0.0% | -100.0% |
| 1989 | 0.0% | — |
| 1997 | -0.3% | — |
| 1998 | 0.0% | -105.3% |
| 1999 | 3.9% | +23341.6% |
| 2000 | 0.3% | -92.0% |
| 2001 | 1.7% | +450.0% |
| 2002 | 1.2% | -30.5% |
| 2003 | 2.0% | +68.6% |
| 2004 | 0.2% | -90.4% |
| 2005 | 2.1% | +1015.5% |
| 2006 | 2.0% | -5.6% |
| 2007 | 0.0% | -100.0% |
| 2008 | 2.5% | +54353216.5% |
| 2011 | 0.3% | -89.5% |
| 2012 | 0.7% | +164.0% |
| 2013 | 0.2% | -68.6% |
| 2014 | -0.1% | -127.5% |
| 2015 | 0.5% | -895.9% |
| 2016 | -0.1% | -122.4% |
| 2017 | -0.1% | -52.9% |
| 2018 | 0.3% | -639.2% |
| 2019 | 0.5% | +78.5% |
| 2020 | 0.5% | -3.5% |
| 2021 | 3.2% | +577.0% |
| 2022 | 4.8% | +50.4% |
| 2023 | 2.1% | -55.6% |
| 2024 | 2.1% | -3.1% |
| 2025 | -1.5% | -173.2% |
Trinidad and Tobago compared with similar countries
- Trinidad and Tobago's -1.5% is below the median for high income countries, which is 0.9%. (69 countries reporting)
- Trinidad and Tobago's -1.5% is below the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 0.3%. (37 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Foreign direct investment, net outflows in Trinidad and Tobago 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.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | +54353216.5% | 0.0% | 2.5% |
| 1999 | +23341.6% | 0.0% | 3.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 5 |
| 1980s | 0.0% | -0.0% | 0.2% | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.2% | -0.3% | 3.9% | 3 |
| 2000s | 1.3% | 0.0% | 2.5% | 9 |
| 2010s | 0.2% | -0.1% | 0.7% | 9 |
| 2020s | 1.8% | -1.5% | 4.8% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Trinidad and Tobago
More economy & growth data for Trinidad and Tobago
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 2.73 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 2.79 Percent per annum (2029)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), gaps -390.11 million BoP, current US$ (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), per unit -0.015 BoP, current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), per capita -285.22 BoP, current US$ per person (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), gaps filled -794.39 million BoP, current US$ (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), annual -75.3 % change on previous year (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), per unit -0.0306 BoP, current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), per capita -580.8 BoP, current US$ per person (2025)
- Total reserves (includes gold, current US$), annual growth rate -10.46 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is foreign direct investment, net outflows in Trinidad and Tobago?
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows in Trinidad and Tobago was -1.5% 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 Trinidad and Tobago?
- The highest recorded value was 4.8% in 2022.
- What is the lowest foreign direct investment, net outflows recorded in Trinidad and Tobago?
- The lowest recorded value was -1.5% in 2025.
- How does Trinidad and Tobago rank for foreign direct investment, net outflows?
- Trinidad and Tobago ranks 185th out of 191 countries with data for 2025.
- Is foreign direct investment, net outflows rising or falling in Trinidad and Tobago?
- Over the last ten years it is down 414.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Trinidad and Tobago 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.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 42 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
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.