Global FDI has shrunk to a quarter of its 2007 peak share of GDP
Original title: Foreign direct investment, net inflows as share of GDP · Our World in Data · 27 Jul 2026
What does the data say about foreign direct investment, net inflows as share of?
Our World in DataView originalOriginal chart: Our World in Data
So what
Cross-border direct investment has fallen from 5.3% of world GDP in 2007 to about 1.3%, a much sharper retreat than trade. China shows the starkest reversal: inflows dropped from over 4% of GDP to under 0.5%, a signal of foreign corporate de-risking. Capital is staying home or moving through friend-shored projects, which reshapes M&A pipelines and plant-location decisions.
- Data sources
- IMF (IFS, Balance of Payments); World Bank; OECD
- Authors
- Our World in Data
- Source article
- Not recorded
- Rights
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