Foreign direct investment, net outflows in China
China: Foreign direct investment, net outflows was 157.21 billion BoP, current US$ in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Foreign direct investment, net outflows in China, 1982–2025
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 BoP, current US$.
Analysis
The most recent figure for foreign direct investment, net outflows in China is 157.21 billion BoP, current US$, measured in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 18.2% on the previous year and down 9.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, foreign direct investment, net outflows in China peaked at 225.67 billion BoP, current US$ in 2023 and was at its lowest, 44.00 million BoP, current US$, in 1982.
That places China 3rd out of 191 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top 10%.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 453.12 million BoP, current US$ | 44.00 million BoP, current US$ | 850.00 million BoP, current US$ | 8 |
| 1990s | 2.86 billion BoP, current US$ | 830.00 million BoP, current US$ | 4.53 billion BoP, current US$ | 10 |
| 2000s | 19.25 billion BoP, current US$ | 4.61 billion BoP, current US$ | 56.74 billion BoP, current US$ | 10 |
| 2010s | 117.65 billion BoP, current US$ | 48.42 billion BoP, current US$ | 216.42 billion BoP, current US$ | 10 |
| 2020s | 186.27 billion BoP, current US$ | 153.72 billion BoP, current US$ | 225.67 billion BoP, current US$ | 6 |
Countries ranked near China
- 1 United States 422.23 billion BoP, current US$ compare
- 2 Japan 217.76 billion BoP, current US$ compare
- 4 Luxembourg 108.60 billion BoP, current US$ compare
- 5 Germany 108.13 billion BoP, current US$ compare
- 6 Singapore 94.20 billion BoP, current US$ compare
More economy & growth data for China
- Households and NPISHs final consumption expenditure 40.0% (2024)
- Households and NPISHs Final consumption expenditure 5.0% (2024)
- Manufacturing, value added 4.82 trillion current US$ (2025)
- Households and NPISHs Final consumption expenditure per capita 5,364 constant 2015 US$ (2024)
- Households and NPISHs Final consumption expenditure per capita growth 5.1% (2024)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added 9.76 trillion constant LCU (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added 3.9% (2025)
- Final consumption expenditure 10.72 trillion constant 2015 US$ (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added 1.37 trillion constant 2015 US$ (2025)
- Final consumption expenditure 4.5% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is foreign direct investment, net outflows in China?
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows in China was 157.21 billion BoP, current US$ 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 China?
- The highest recorded value was 225.67 billion BoP, current US$ in 2023.
- What is the lowest foreign direct investment, net outflows recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 44.00 million BoP, current US$ in 1982.
- How does China rank for foreign direct investment, net outflows?
- China ranks 3rd out of 191 countries with data for 2025.
- Is foreign direct investment, net outflows rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is down 9.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this China 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 (BoP, current US$). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 44 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. Data are in current U.S. dollars.