China's foreign direct investment, net (current US$, BoP) was US$77.23 billion in 2025, the latest year in the World Bank's World Development Indicators. That is up 213.4% from −US$68.1 billion in 2015.
Key figures
| Value | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| Latest | US$77.23 billion | 2025 |
| Five years earlier | −US$99.37 billion | 2020 |
| Ten years earlier | −US$68.1 billion | 2015 |
| Highest | US$174.33 billion | 2023 |
| Lowest | −US$231.65 billion | 2011 |
| Average since 2016 | US$2.76 billion | 2016–2025 |
| First recorded | −US$386 million |
What the numbers say
In 2025, China's foreign direct investment, net (current US$, BoP) fell US$72.33 billion on 2024 (from US$149.55 billion to US$77.23 billion).
Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1995 to 2024), the average change was +US$6.04 billion and a typical year strayed about US$64.12 billion from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 1.2 standard deviations below that average, so it was larger than a typical year, though not out of the range seen before.
On record, the biggest yearly rise was US$185.12 billion in 2022 and the biggest yearly fall was US$98.58 billion in 2010. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.
From 2016 to 2025 there is no clear straight-line trend: a straight line explains 25% 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 2025, China had the 5th highest value of the 136 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 China in the 2025 ranking
- Japan — 2nd of 136: US$171.95 billion
- Netherlands — 3rd of 136: US$117.36 billion
- United States — 4th of 136: US$82.58 billion
- Denmark — 6th of 136: US$35.81 billion
- France — 7th of 136: US$35.57 billion
- Switzerland — 8th of 136: US$32.29 billion
What this measures
Foreign direct investment is a category of cross-border investment associated with a resident in one economy having control or a significant degree of influence on the management of an enterprise that is resident in another economy. Ownership of 10 percent or more of the voting power is evidence of a direct investment relationship. This indicator is expressed in current prices, meaning no adjustment has been made to account for price changes over time. This indicator is expressed in United States dollars.
All 44 values
| Year | Foreign direct investment, net (current US$, BoP) |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 77,226,022,574 |
| 2024 | 149,553,457,979 |
| 2023 | 174,330,476,010 |
| 2022 | 19,846,371,667 |
| 2021 | -165,277,237,080 |
| 2020 | -99,374,807,720 |
| 2019 | -50,259,822,365 |
| 2018 | -92,338,473,352 |
| 2017 | -27,790,987,920 |
| 2016 | 41,674,876,170 |
Foreign direct investment, net (current US$, BoP) in nearby economies
- Australia — −US$44.19 billion (2025)
- Brunei Darussalam — −US$157.23 million (2025)
- Cambodia — −US$4.96 billion (2025)
- Fiji — −US$178.04 million (2024)
- French Polynesia — −US$37.32 million (2016)
- Hong Kong SAR, China — −US$21.13 billion (2025)
- Indonesia — −US$14.55 billion (2025)
- Japan — US$171.95 billion (2025)
- Kiribati — −US$4.14 million (2025)
- Korea, Rep.
More economic policy & debt data for China
- Exports of goods and services (current US$) — US$4.11 trillion (2025)
- Exports of goods and services (current LCU) — 29.54 trillion (2025)
- Exports of goods and services (% of GDP) — 21.07% (2025)
- Imports of goods and services (current US$) — US$3.29 trillion (2025)
- Imports of goods and services (current LCU) — 23.67 trillion (2025)
- Imports of goods and services (% of GDP) — 16.89% (2025)
- External balance on goods and services (current US$) — US$816.19 billion (2025)
- External balance on goods and services (current LCU) — 5.87 trillion (2025)
- External balance on goods and services (% of GDP) — 4.19% (2025)
Reading data like this
Questions people ask
- What is China's foreign direct investment, net (current US$, BoP)?
- US$77.23 billion in 2025, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).
- How has it changed since 1982?
- It is up 20,107% from −US$386 million in 1982. The highest value was US$174.33 billion in 2023 and the lowest −US$231.65 billion in 2011.
- How does China rank?
- 5th highest of 136 economies with data for 2025.
- Is the latest change in foreign direct investment, net (current US$, BoP) unusual for China?
- In 2025, China's foreign direct investment, net (current US$, BoP) fell US$72.33 billion on 2024 (from US$149.55 billion to US$77.23 billion). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1995 to 2024), the average change was +US$6.04 billion and a typical year strayed about US$64.12 billion from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 1.2 standard deviations below that average, so it was larger than a typical year, though not out of the range seen before.
Source
World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator BN.KLT.DINV.CD, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF) 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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