Cayman Islands: Foreign direct investment, net inflows (% of GDP)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2024, Cayman Islands' foreign direct investment, net inflows (% of GDP) fell 124.54 percentage points on 2023 (from 165.46% to 40.92%).

Across the 17 yearly changes before that (2007 to 2023), the average change was −25.03 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 473.92 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.2 standard deviations below that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 700.8 percentage points in 2015 and the biggest yearly fall was 1,655.15 percentage points in 2016. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2015 to 2024 there is no clear straight-line trend: a straight line explains 26% of the movement over 10 observed years, so the value is moving around more than it is heading anywhere.

Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.

How it compares

In 2024, Cayman Islands had the 1st highest value of the 10 economies reporting that year. Higher is not always better: for some indicators the lowest value is the one to aim for. See the full ranking.

Closest to Cayman Islands in the 2024 ranking

• United Arab Emirates — 2nd of 10: 8.26%
• Lebanon — 3rd of 10: 6.79%
• New Caledonia — 4th of 10: 5.91%

What this measures

Foreign direct investment is the net inflows of investment to acquire a lasting management interest (10 percent or more of voting stock) in an enterprise operating in an economy other than that of the investor. It is the sum of equity capital, reinvestment of earnings, other long-term capital, and short-term capital as shown in the balance of payments. This series shows net inflows (new investment inflows less disinvestment) in the reporting economy from foreign investors, and is divided by GDP.

Limitations: FDI data do not give a complete picture of international investment in an economy. Balance of payments data on FDI do not include capital raised locally, an important source of investment financing in some developing countries. In addition, FDI data omit nonequity cross-border transactions such as intra-unit flows of goods and services. The volume of global private financial flows reported by the World Bank generally differs from that reported by other sources because of differences in sources, classification of economies, and method used to adjust and disaggregate reported information.

Regional and income-group figures are computed by the World Bank as a weighted average.

All 19 values

Foreign direct investment, net inflows (% of GDP) in nearby economies

• Antigua and Barbuda — 12.06% (2025)
• Argentina — 0.64% (2025)
• Aruba — 2.48% (2024)
• Bahamas, The — 1.52% (2024)
• Barbados — 3.41% (2025)
• Belize — 0.00721% (2025)
• Bolivia — 0.81% (2025)
• Brazil — 3.41% (2025)
• Chile — 4.06% (2025)
• Colombia

More economic policy & debt data for Cayman Islands

• Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$) — US$35.78 billion (2025)
• Adjusted savings, mineral depletion (current US$) — US$0 (2021)
• Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$) — US$25.25 billion (2025)
• Adjusted savings, carbon dioxide damage (current US$) — US$32.69 million (2021)
• Adjusted savings, energy depletion (current US$) — US$0 (2021)
• Foreign direct investment, net outflows (% of GDP) — -22.43% (2024)
• Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$) — US$35.15 million (2024)
• Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current LCU) — 29.29 million (2024)

Reading data like this

• Where to find free public data, and how to check it before you trust it — 2 min read
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• Real change or random noise? A plain guide to reading your numbers — 2 min read

Questions people ask

What is Cayman Islands's foreign direct investment, net inflows (% of GDP)?

40.92% in 2024, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 2006?

It is down 550.02 percentage points from 590.93% in 2006. The highest value was 1,710% in 2015 and the lowest -47.26% in 2022.

How does Cayman Islands rank?

1st highest of 10 economies with data for 2024.

Is the latest change in foreign direct investment, net inflows (% of GDP) unusual for Cayman Islands?

In 2024, Cayman Islands' foreign direct investment, net inflows (% of GDP) fell 124.54 percentage points on 2023 (from 165.46% to 40.92%). Across the 17 yearly changes before that (2007 to 2023), the average change was −25.03 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 473.92 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.2 standard deviations below that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator BX.KLT.DINV.WD.GD.ZS, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: International Financial Statistics and Balance of Payments databases, International Monetary Fund (IMF); International Debt Statistics, World Bank (WB); World Bank GDP estimates, World Bank (WB); OECD GDP estimates, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Figures are fetched from the World Bank API and refreshed monthly; see the series on data.worldbank.org. The full definition and method are in the World Bank's metadata glossary. Comparisons use the same World Bank release.

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