Macao SAR, China: Foreign direct investment, net (current US$, BoP)

Key figures

Over five years it is down 101.32% from US$8.12 billion in 2020. Since 2002 it is up 68.89% from −US$345.59 million in 2002.

What the numbers say

In 2025, Macao SAR, China's foreign direct investment, net (current US$, BoP) rose US$543.38 million on 2024 (from −US$650.91 million to −US$107.52 million).

Across the 22 yearly changes before that (2003 to 2024), the average change was −US$13.88 million and a typical year strayed about US$3.98 billion from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.1 standard deviations above 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 US$13.09 billion in 2020 and the biggest yearly fall was US$9.3 billion in 2021. 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 less than 1% 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, Macao SAR, China had the 45th 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 Macao SAR, China in the 2025 ranking

• Latvia — 42nd of 136: −US$56.05 million
• Eswatini — 43rd of 136: −US$58.62 million
• São Tomé and Principe — 44th of 136: −US$102.33 million
• St. Vincent and the Grenadines — 46th of 136: −US$113.48 million
• Cabo Verde — 47th of 136: −US$128.14 million
• Brunei Darussalam — 48th of 136: −US$157.23 million

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 24 values

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)
• China — US$77.23 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. — US$25.43 billion (2025)
• Lao PDR — −US$1.37 billion (2025)
• Malaysia — −US$12.53 billion (2025)
• Marshall Islands — −US$13.36 million (2024)
• Mongolia — −US$2.74 billion (2025)

More economic policy & debt data for Macao SAR, China

• Adjusted savings, education expenditure (% of GNI) — 4.4% (2021)
• Adjusted savings, carbon dioxide damage (current US$) — US$119.95 million (2021)
• Adjusted savings, mineral depletion (current US$) — US$0 (2021)
• Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$) — US$1.15 billion (2025)
• Food, beverages and tobacco (% of value added in manufacturing) — 50.99% (2024)
• Other manufacturing (% of value added in manufacturing) — 40.08% (2024)
• Textiles and clothing (% of value added in manufacturing) — 2.88% (2024)
• General government final consumption expenditure (current US$) — US$6.35 billion (2025)
• General government final consumption expenditure (current LCU) — 51 billion (2025)
• General government final consumption expenditure (constant 2015 US$) — US$5.14 billion (2025)
• General government final consumption expenditure (constant LCU) — 50.01 billion (2025)
• General government final consumption expenditure (% of GDP) — 12.2% (2025)
• Households and NPISHs final consumption expenditure (current US$) — US$15.68 billion (2025)
• Households and NPISHs final consumption expenditure (current LCU) — 125.9 billion (2025)
• Households and NPISHs final consumption expenditure (constant 2015 US$) — US$14.46 billion (2025)

Every indicator for Macao SAR, China is on the Macao SAR, China data page.

Reading data like this

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Questions people ask

What is Macao SAR, China's foreign direct investment, net (current US$, BoP)?

−US$107.52 million in 2025, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 2002?

It is up 68.89% from −US$345.59 million in 2002. The highest value was US$8.12 billion in 2020 and the lowest −US$5.01 billion in 2007.

How does Macao SAR, China rank?

45th highest of 136 economies with data for 2025.

Is the latest change in foreign direct investment, net (current US$, BoP) unusual for Macao SAR, China?

In 2025, Macao SAR, China's foreign direct investment, net (current US$, BoP) rose US$543.38 million on 2024 (from −US$650.91 million to −US$107.52 million). Across the 22 yearly changes before that (2003 to 2024), the average change was −US$13.88 million and a typical year strayed about US$3.98 billion from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.1 standard deviations above that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

Where does this data come from?

The World Bank's World Development Indicators, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF).

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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