Top FDI Inflows (% of GDP) 2015

Top FDI inflows as a percentage of GDP highlight countries attracting significant foreign investments relative to their economy size.

193 data points••Global Coverage•Foreign direct investment, net inflows as share of GDP | Our World in Data•

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Complete Data Rankings

Rank
Actions
1
Cayman Islands flag
Cayman Islands
1,709.827 %
2
Liechtenstein flag
Liechtenstein
1,282.607 %
3
Cyprus flag
Cyprus
137.221 %
4
Luxembourg flag
Luxembourg
75.63 %
5
Ireland flag
Ireland
74.817 %
6
China, Hong Kong SAR flag
China, Hong Kong SAR
58.518 %
7
Netherlands flag
Netherlands
48.471 %
8
Congo flag
Congo
34.418 %
9
Malta flag
Malta
32.103 %
10
Mozambique flag
Mozambique
23.865 %
11
Singapore flag
Singapore
22.654 %
12
Montenegro flag
Montenegro
17.449 %
13
Kyrgyzstan flag
Kyrgyzstan
17.131 %
14
Switzerland flag
Switzerland
17.095 %
15
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines flag
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
15.75 %
16
Grenada flag
Grenada
15.473 %
17
New Caledonia flag
New Caledonia
13.777 %
18
Saint Kitts and Nevis flag
Saint Kitts and Nevis
13.401 %
19
Palau flag
Palau
12.211 %
20
Barbados flag
Barbados
12.08 %
21
Georgia flag
Georgia
11.399 %
22
Sao Tome and Principe flag
Sao Tome and Principe
10.74 %
23
Angola flag
Angola
9.78 %
24
Panama flag
Panama
9.18 %
25
Equatorial Guinea flag
Equatorial Guinea
9.008 %
26
Albania flag
Albania
8.627 %
27
Turkmenistan flag
Turkmenistan
8.5 %
28
Saint Lucia flag
Saint Lucia
8.422 %
29
Mauritania flag
Mauritania
8.116 %
30
Antigua and Barbuda flag
Antigua and Barbuda
7.932 %
31
Azerbaijan flag
Azerbaijan
7.626 %
32
Nicaragua flag
Nicaragua
7.58 %
33
Cambodia flag
Cambodia
7.54 %
34
Finland flag
Finland
7.538 %
35
Laos flag
Laos
7.471 %
36
Zambia flag
Zambia
7.447 %
37
Namibia flag
Namibia
7.401 %
38
Seychelles flag
Seychelles
7.393 %
39
Chile flag
Chile
7.328 %
40
Maldives flag
Maldives
7.216 %
41
Liberia flag
Liberia
7.21 %
42
Myanmar flag
Myanmar
6.851 %
43
Iceland flag
Iceland
6.473 %
44
Ghana flag
Ghana
6.457 %
45
Honduras flag
Honduras
6.276 %
46
Jamaica flag
Jamaica
6.182 %
47
Djibouti flag
Djibouti
5.933 %
48
Serbia flag
Serbia
5.674 %
49
Cabo Verde flag
Cabo Verde
5.49 %
50
Tajikistan flag
Tajikistan
5.489 %
51
Niger flag
Niger
5.468 %
52
Costa Rica flag
Costa Rica
5.236 %
53
Gambia flag
Gambia
5.223 %
54
Vietnam flag
Vietnam
4.932 %
55
Somalia flag
Somalia
4.925 %
56
Lesotho flag
Lesotho
4.798 %
57
Curaçao flag
Curaçao
4.787 %
58
Uruguay flag
Uruguay
4.634 %
59
Togo flag
Togo
4.48 %
60
Fiji flag
Fiji
4.386 %
61
Bulgaria flag
Bulgaria
4.376 %
62
Lebanon flag
Lebanon
4.325 %
63
Ethiopia flag
Ethiopia
4.229 %
64
Slovenia flag
Slovenia
4.051 %
65
Colombia flag
Colombia
3.959 %
66
Peru flag
Peru
3.903 %
67
Canada flag
Canada
3.854 %
68
Chad flag
Chad
3.844 %
69
Jordan flag
Jordan
3.775 %
70
Israel flag
Israel
3.743 %
71
Sierra Leone flag
Sierra Leone
3.719 %
72
Vanuatu flag
Vanuatu
3.627 %
73
Brazil flag
Brazil
3.592 %
74
Suriname flag
Suriname
3.583 %
75
Kazakhstan flag
Kazakhstan
3.567 %
76
Australia flag
Australia
3.456 %
77
Tonga flag
Tonga
3.373 %
78
Sudan flag
Sudan
3.341 %
79
Poland flag
Poland
3.295 %
80
Malaysia flag
Malaysia
3.271 %
81
Samoa flag
Samoa
3.26 %
82
Guyana flag
Guyana
3.217 %
83
Tanzania flag
Tanzania
3.176 %
84
Dominican Republic flag
Dominican Republic
3.139 %
85
Malawi flag
Malawi
3.121 %
86
Latvia flag
Latvia
3.085 %
87
Mexico flag
Mexico
2.988 %
88
North Macedonia flag
North Macedonia
2.947 %
89
Morocco flag
Morocco
2.946 %
90
Belarus flag
Belarus
2.927 %
91
Congo, Democratic Republic of the flag
Congo, Democratic Republic of the
2.901 %
92
Madagascar flag
Madagascar
2.897 %
93
Republic of Moldova flag
Republic of Moldova
2.897 %
94
Botswana flag
Botswana
2.798 %
95
United States flag
United States
2.795 %
96
Timor-Leste flag
Timor-Leste
2.704 %
97
Belize flag
Belize
2.696 %
98
Lithuania flag
Lithuania
2.496 %
99
Solomon Islands flag
Solomon Islands
2.464 %
100
Romania flag
Romania
2.427 %
101
Venezuela flag
Venezuela
2.36 %
102
Bosnia and Herzegovina flag
Bosnia and Herzegovina
2.335 %
103
Senegal flag
Senegal
2.302 %
104
Indonesia flag
Indonesia
2.298 %
105
Uganda flag
Uganda
2.278 %
106
United Arab Emirates flag
United Arab Emirates
2.239 %
107
Turkey flag
Turkey
2.226 %
108
Thailand flag
Thailand
2.225 %
109
Paraguay flag
Paraguay
2.224 %
110
Cameroon flag
Cameroon
2.156 %
111
China flag
China
2.15 %
112
Tunisia flag
Tunisia
2.12 %
113
El Salvador flag
El Salvador
2.11 %
114
Egypt flag
Egypt
2.103 %
115
India flag
India
2.092 %
116
Zimbabwe flag
Zimbabwe
1.999 %
117
Argentina flag
Argentina
1.977 %
118
Spain flag
Spain
1.971 %
119
Burkina Faso flag
Burkina Faso
1.96 %
120
Sint Maarten (Dutch part) flag
Sint Maarten (Dutch part)
1.959 %
121
Sweden flag
Sweden
1.949 %
122
Guatemala flag
Guatemala
1.935 %
123
Rwanda flag
Rwanda
1.919 %
124
Philippines flag
Philippines
1.84 %
125
Germany flag
Germany
1.822 %
126
Norway flag
Norway
1.815 %
127
Mauritius flag
Mauritius
1.78 %
128
Mali flag
Mali
1.768 %
129
France flag
France
1.766 %
130
Armenia flag
Armenia
1.745 %
131
Slovakia flag
Slovakia
1.705 %
132
Bolivia flag
Bolivia
1.681 %
133
Guinea-Bissau flag
Guinea-Bissau
1.612 %
134
United Kingdom flag
United Kingdom
1.539 %
135
Bangladesh flag
Bangladesh
1.451 %
136
Ecuador flag
Ecuador
1.361 %
137
Brunei Darussalam flag
Brunei Darussalam
1.325 %
138
Benin flag
Benin
1.315 %
139
Dominica flag
Dominica
1.228 %
140
China, Macao SAR flag
China, Macao SAR
1.083 %
141
Côte d'Ivoire flag
Côte d'Ivoire
1.079 %
142
Uzbekistan flag
Uzbekistan
1.067 %
143
Croatia flag
Croatia
0.958 %
144
Czech Republic flag
Czech Republic
0.899 %
145
Afghanistan flag
Afghanistan
0.884 %
146
Kenya flag
Kenya
0.884 %
147
Tuvalu flag
Tuvalu
0.816 %
148
Mongolia flag
Mongolia
0.812 %
149
Eswatini flag
Eswatini
0.806 %
150
Sri Lanka flag
Sri Lanka
0.799 %
151
State of Palestine flag
State of Palestine
0.751 %
152
Italy flag
Italy
0.721 %
153
Haiti flag
Haiti
0.712 %
154
Qatar flag
Qatar
0.662 %
155
Trinidad and Tobago flag
Trinidad and Tobago
0.659 %
156
Greece flag
Greece
0.652 %
157
Bahamas flag
Bahamas
0.643 %
158
Portugal flag
Portugal
0.635 %
159
Nigeria flag
Nigeria
0.622 %
160
Denmark flag
Denmark
0.611 %
161
Guinea flag
Guinea
0.606 %
162
Saudi Arabia flag
Saudi Arabia
0.573 %
163
Pakistan flag
Pakistan
0.558 %
164
Comoros flag
Comoros
0.511 %
165
Russia flag
Russia
0.503 %
166
Iran flag
Iran
0.501 %
167
French Polynesia flag
French Polynesia
0.488 %
168
South Africa flag
South Africa
0.439 %
169
Bhutan flag
Bhutan
0.295 %
170
Gabon flag
Gabon
0.29 %
171
South Korea flag
South Korea
0.267 %
172
Burundi flag
Burundi
0.265 %
173
Kuwait flag
Kuwait
0.248 %
174
Nepal flag
Nepal
0.213 %
175
Bahrain flag
Bahrain
0.2 %
176
Central African Republic flag
Central African Republic
0.177 %
177
Papua New Guinea flag
Papua New Guinea
0.138 %
178
Japan flag
Japan
0.116 %
179
Yemen flag
Yemen
-0.036 %
180
New Zealand flag
New Zealand
-0.041 %
181
Ukraine flag
Ukraine
-0.218 %
182
Algeria flag
Algeria
-0.287 %
183
Kiribati flag
Kiribati
-0.428 %
184
Aruba flag
Aruba
-0.907 %
185
Austria flag
Austria
-1.804 %
186
Bermuda flag
Bermuda
-2.15 %
187
Oman flag
Oman
-2.76 %
188
Marshall Islands flag
Marshall Islands
-2.936 %
189
Estonia flag
Estonia
-3.069 %
190
Belgium flag
Belgium
-4.233 %
191
Hungary flag
Hungary
-4.367 %
192
Iraq flag
Iraq
-4.542 %
193
Turks and Caicos Islands flag
Turks and Caicos Islands
-6.481 %

↑Top 10 Countries

  1. #1Cayman Islands flagCayman Islands
  2. #2Liechtenstein flagLiechtenstein
  3. #3Cyprus flagCyprus
  4. #4Luxembourg flagLuxembourg
  5. #5Ireland flagIreland
  6. #6China, Hong Kong SAR flagChina, Hong Kong SAR
  7. #7Netherlands flagNetherlands
  8. #8Congo flagCongo
  9. #9Malta flagMalta
  10. #10Mozambique flagMozambique

Analysis: These countries represent the highest values in this dataset, showcasing significant scale and impact on global statistics.

↓Bottom 10 Countries

  1. #193Turks and Caicos Islands flagTurks and Caicos Islands
  2. #192Iraq flagIraq
  3. #191Hungary flagHungary
  4. #190Belgium flagBelgium
  5. #189Estonia flagEstonia
  6. #188Marshall Islands flagMarshall Islands
  7. #187Oman flagOman
  8. #186Bermuda flagBermuda
  9. #185Austria flagAustria
  10. #184Aruba flagAruba

Context: These countries or territories have the lowest values, often due to geographic size, administrative status, or specific characteristics.

Analysis & Context

In 2015, the Cayman Islands led the world in Top FDI Inflows (% of GDP), reaching an astonishing 1709.83%, while the global range spanned from -6.48% to this peak figure. The global average for Top FDI Inflows (% of GDP) was 21.28%, illustrating the vast disparity in foreign investment attraction relative to GDP among countries.

Concentration of FDI in Financial Hubs

The dominance of financial hubs in the Top FDI Inflows (% of GDP) rankings is evident with countries like the Cayman Islands and Liechtenstein posting figures of 1709.83% and 1282.61% respectively. These jurisdictions are renowned for their favorable tax regimes and robust financial services sectors, which significantly attract foreign investments. Similarly, Luxembourg and Ireland, with FDI inflows of 75.63% and 74.82%, leverage their strategic positioning within the European Union and business-friendly environments to draw substantial foreign capital. These countries often serve as gateways for multinational corporations seeking to optimize their tax liabilities and access European markets.

Emerging Economies and Strategic Investments

Emerging economies such as Cyprus and Mozambique also feature in the top rankings with FDI inflows at 137.22% and 23.87% of GDP, respectively. For Cyprus, its strategic location and recent economic reforms have been pivotal in attracting foreign investments, particularly in real estate and tourism. Meanwhile, Mozambique has benefited from foreign investments in natural resources, particularly in the gas and mining sectors. These investments not only boost GDP but also contribute to infrastructure development and job creation in these regions.

Significant Year-over-Year Movements

The data reveals notable year-over-year changes in FDI inflows, reflecting shifts in economic policies and global investment trends. Liechtenstein saw the largest increase, with a surge of 1142.31%, indicating a substantial influx of foreign capital likely driven by financial sector growth. The Cayman Islands also experienced a significant rise of 700.80%, underscoring its continued attractiveness as an offshore financial center.

Conversely, Cyprus faced a steep decline of -95.95%, likely due to adjustments in investment flows following its financial crisis and subsequent recovery measures. Similarly, Hungary experienced a decrease of -13.49%, possibly reflecting changes in its economic policies or investor confidence.

Interpreting Negative Inflows

While positive FDI inflows are generally indicative of economic vitality and investor confidence, negative inflows, such as those seen in the Turks and Caicos Islands at -6.48% and Iraq at -4.54%, suggest capital flight or significant disinvestment. In the case of Iraq, ongoing geopolitical instability and economic challenges likely contributed to the withdrawal of foreign investments. Similarly, Hungary and Belgium showed negative inflows at -4.37% and -4.23%, respectively, possibly due to shifts in regional economic policies or investor sentiment.

These patterns in Top FDI Inflows (% of GDP) for 2015 underline the complex interplay between economic policies, geographic advantages, and global market dynamics. Understanding these factors is crucial for policymakers and investors aiming to navigate the intricacies of international investment landscapes.

Frequently Asked Questions About Top FDI Inflows (% of GDP) in 2015

Which country had the highest FDI inflows as a percentage of GDP in 2015?

The Cayman Islands had the highest FDI inflows as a percentage of GDP in 2015, with 1,710%.

What was the average FDI inflow as a percentage of GDP among countries in 2015?

The average FDI inflow as a percentage of GDP among countries in 2015 was 21.28%.

Which country had the lowest FDI inflows as a percentage of GDP in 2015?

The Turks and Caicos Islands had the lowest FDI inflows as a percentage of GDP in 2015, with -6.48%.

What was the median FDI inflow as a percentage of GDP in 2015?

The median FDI inflow as a percentage of GDP in 2015 was 2.7%.

How many countries are included in the dataset for FDI inflows as a percentage of GDP in 2015?

The dataset includes 193 countries for FDI inflows as a percentage of GDP in 2015.

Which countries were in the top three for FDI inflows as a percentage of GDP in 2015?

The top three countries for FDI inflows as a percentage of GDP in 2015 were the Cayman Islands, Liechtenstein, and Cyprus.

Insights by country

1

Botswana

Botswana ranked #94 globally with a Top FDI Inflows (% of GDP) of 2.7977326 % in 2015. This figure is relatively low compared to neighboring countries, reflecting a cautious investment climate in the region.

The country's stable political environment and sound economic policies have attracted foreign investors, although challenges such as limited infrastructure and a reliance on diamond mining can hinder further growth. Additionally, Botswana's focus on sustainable development and diversification efforts aims to enhance its appeal for future foreign direct investment.

2

South Korea

In 2015, South Korea ranked #171 globally for Top FDI Inflows (% of GDP) with a value of 0.26663637 %. This figure is notably lower than regional peers like Japan, which typically attracts higher foreign investment relative to GDP. Factors contributing to South Korea's position include its advanced technological sector and a stable regulatory environment, although geopolitical tensions in the region may deter some foreign investors.

3

Djibouti

In 2015, Djibouti achieved a global rank of #47 with Top FDI Inflows at 5.932712 % of GDP. This figure is notable when compared to regional peers, reflecting Djibouti's strategic location as a key shipping hub near major maritime routes. The country's investment climate is bolstered by government initiatives aimed at enhancing infrastructure and attracting foreign capital, particularly in the logistics and telecommunications sectors.

4

North Macedonia

In 2015, North Macedonia ranked #88 globally with a Top FDI Inflows (% of GDP) of 2.9470277 %. This figure is relatively low compared to the regional average for Southeast Europe, indicating challenges in attracting foreign investment. Key drivers for this statistic include North Macedonia's ongoing efforts to improve its business climate and the impact of political stability on investor confidence.

5

Kyrgyzstan

Kyrgyzstan ranked #13 globally for Top FDI Inflows (% of GDP) in 2015, with a value of 17.131231 %. This figure significantly exceeds the average for Central Asia, highlighting the country's attractiveness for foreign investment. Key drivers include Kyrgyzstan's strategic location along trade routes and its commitment to economic reforms aimed at improving the business environment.

6

Georgia

In 2015, Georgia achieved a global rank of #21 for Top FDI Inflows (% of GDP) with a remarkable 11.398649 %. This figure is significantly higher than the global average, reflecting Georgia's strategic position at the crossroads of Europe and Asia. The country's liberal investment climate, characterized by favorable tax policies and regulatory reforms, has actively attracted foreign direct investment, particularly in sectors like energy and infrastructure.

7

Chad

In 2015, Chad ranked #68 globally with a Top FDI Inflows (% of GDP) of 3.843801 %. This figure is notable compared to many of its neighbors, reflecting a modest level of foreign investment relative to the global average. Key drivers for this statistic include Chad's strategic location in Central Africa and its rich oil reserves, which attract foreign investors despite challenges such as political instability and inadequate infrastructure.

8

Afghanistan

In 2015, Afghanistan ranked #145 globally with a value of 0.8840005 % for Top FDI Inflows (% of GDP). This figure is notably low compared to many neighboring countries, reflecting the challenges faced in attracting foreign investment. Key drivers include ongoing security concerns, political instability, and a lack of infrastructure, which hinder economic growth and deter potential investors.

9

Liberia

In 2015, Liberia achieved a rank of #41 globally for Top FDI Inflows at 7.210238 % of its GDP. This figure is significant compared to many of its regional neighbors, reflecting a strong interest from foreign investors. Key drivers of this investment include Liberia's rich natural resources, particularly in mining and agriculture, alongside ongoing post-conflict recovery efforts that have improved the business environment.

10

Indonesia

In 2015, Indonesia ranked #104 globally for Top FDI Inflows (% of GDP) with a value of 2.2976165 %. This figure is relatively low compared to regional peers, reflecting challenges in attracting foreign investment. Key drivers for this statistic include Indonesia's complex regulatory environment and infrastructure deficits, which can deter potential investors despite the country's large consumer market and rich natural resources.

Data Source

Foreign direct investment, net inflows as share of GDP | Our World in Data

Our World in Data is an online platform that provides comprehensive statistical data and research on global development topics. The dataset on foreign direct investment, net inflows as a share of GDP offers country-level statistics that illustrate the proportion of foreign investment relative to a nation's economic output.

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Historical Data by Year

Explore Top FDI Inflows (% of GDP) data across different years. Compare trends and see how statistics have changed over time.

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