Foreign direct investment, net outflows in Uruguay
Uruguay: Foreign direct investment, net outflows was 0.8% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Foreign direct investment, net outflows in Uruguay, 1978–2025
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 Uruguay stood at 0.8%.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 146.5% on the previous year and down 76.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, foreign direct investment, net outflows in Uruguay peaked at 8.3% in 2022 and was at its lowest, -10.5%, in 2023.
That places Uruguay 64th out of 191 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Foreign direct investment, net outflows in Uruguay, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1978 | 0.0% | — |
| 1979 | 0.0% | — |
| 1980 | 0.0% | — |
| 1981 | 0.0% | — |
| 1982 | 0.1% | — |
| 1983 | -0.1% | -173.5% |
| 1984 | -0.1% | -36.1% |
| 1985 | 0.2% | -338.2% |
| 1986 | 0.1% | -54.2% |
| 1987 | -0.1% | -186.9% |
| 1988 | 0.0% | -142.1% |
| 1989 | 0.0% | -100.0% |
| 1990 | 0.0% | — |
| 1991 | 0.0% | -17.0% |
| 1992 | 0.0% | -13.0% |
| 1993 | 0.0% | -14.2% |
| 1994 | 0.0% | -14.1% |
| 1997 | 0.1% | +96231333.3% |
| 1998 | 0.0% | -33.5% |
| 1999 | -0.0% | -134.1% |
| 2000 | -0.0% | +74.6% |
| 2001 | 0.1% | -533.3% |
| 2002 | -0.0% | -101.2% |
| 2003 | 0.0% | -1105.8% |
| 2004 | 0.3% | +2316.2% |
| 2005 | 0.1% | -67.9% |
| 2006 | 0.1% | -21.5% |
| 2007 | 0.5% | +611.9% |
| 2008 | 0.1% | -83.7% |
| 2009 | 0.3% | +239.1% |
| 2010 | -0.4% | -236.0% |
| 2011 | 0.4% | -194.7% |
| 2012 | 7.7% | +2051.8% |
| 2013 | -3.4% | -143.8% |
| 2014 | 3.0% | -189.1% |
| 2015 | 3.3% | +10.1% |
| 2016 | 2.3% | -30.9% |
| 2017 | 7.3% | +219.4% |
| 2018 | 3.8% | -48.3% |
| 2019 | 0.2% | -95.5% |
| 2020 | -0.2% | -234.3% |
| 2021 | 4.3% | -2018.7% |
| 2022 | 8.3% | +93.1% |
| 2023 | -10.5% | -226.2% |
| 2024 | -1.7% | -84.2% |
| 2025 | 0.8% | -146.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 2 |
| 1980s | 0.0% | -0.1% | 0.2% | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.0% | -0.0% | 0.1% | 8 |
| 2000s | 0.1% | -0.0% | 0.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.4% | -3.4% | 7.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.2% | -10.5% | 8.3% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Uruguay
- 61 Poland 0.8% compare
- 62 China 0.8% compare
- 63 Cape Verde 0.8% compare
- 65 Guatemala 0.8% compare
- 66 Madagascar 0.8% compare
- 67 Saint Lucia 0.7% compare
More economy & growth data for Uruguay
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 2.2 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 2.2 Percent per annum (2029)
- Gross capital formation (current US$), annual growth rate 5.34 % change on previous year (2025)
- Gross capital formation (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.1618 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Gross capital formation (current US$), per capita 4,080 current US$ per person (2025)
- Gross capital formation (current LCU), annual growth rate 7.9 % change on previous year (2025)
- Gross capital formation (current LCU), per unit of GDP 6.66 current LCU per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Gross capital formation (current LCU), per capita 168,037 current LCU per person (2025)
- Gross capital formation (constant 2015 US$), annual growth rate 4.3 % change on previous year (2025)
- Gross capital formation (constant 2015 US$), per unit of GDP 0.1315 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is foreign direct investment, net outflows in Uruguay?
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows in Uruguay was 0.8% 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 Uruguay?
- The highest recorded value was 8.3% in 2022.
- What is the lowest foreign direct investment, net outflows recorded in Uruguay?
- The lowest recorded value was -10.5% in 2023.
- How does Uruguay rank for foreign direct investment, net outflows?
- Uruguay ranks 64th out of 191 countries with data for 2025.
- Is foreign direct investment, net outflows rising or falling in Uruguay?
- Over the last ten years it is down 76.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Uruguay 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.