Foreign direct investment in Africa

Africa: Foreign direct investment was 2.4% in 2010. ▬ Flat

Latest (2010)
2.4%
Change on year
down 17.8%
Rank
5th
of 6 groups
All-time high
3.2%
in 2008
All-time low
2.4%
in 2010
Years of data
6
2005–2010

Foreign direct investment in Africa, 2005–2010

01232005200720102005: 2.8 % of GDP2006: 2.5 % of GDP2007: 3 % of GDP2008: 3.2 % of GDP2009: 2.9 % of GDP2010: 2.4 % of GDP

Source: World Bank country economists. Measured in % of GDP.

Analysis

In 2010, foreign direct investment in Africa stood at 2.4%. That is the lowest value across all 6 years on record.

The figure is down 17.8% on the previous year and down 15.4% over ten years.

Foreign direct investment in Africa, year by year

Annual values for Foreign direct investment (% of GDP) in Africa, 2005 to 2010.
Year % of GDP Change
2005 2.8%
2006 2.5% -11.1%
2007 3.0% +20.9%
2008 3.2% +5.1%
2009 2.9% -9.0%
2010 2.4% -17.8%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 2.9% 2.5% 3.2% 5
2010s 2.4% 2.4% 2.4% 1

Countries ranked near Africa

  1. 2 Liberia 84.9% compare
  2. 3 Sierra Leone 24.0% compare
  3. 4 Guinea 18.8% compare
  4. 5 Niger 18.5% compare
  5. 6 Mozambique 16.4% compare
  6. 7 Sao Tome and Principe 14.0% compare
  7. 8 Seychelles 12.9% compare

See the full ranking of 47 places →

More trade data for Africa

All data for Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is foreign direct investment in Africa?
Foreign direct investment in Africa was 2.4% in 2010, according to World Bank country economists.
What is the highest foreign direct investment recorded in Africa?
The highest recorded value was 3.2% in 2008.
What is the lowest foreign direct investment recorded in Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 2.4% in 2010.
How does Africa rank for foreign direct investment?
Africa ranks 5th out of 6 groups with data for 2010.
Is foreign direct investment rising or falling in Africa?
Over the last ten years it is down 15.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
Where does this Africa data come from?
The figures come from World Bank country economists, published as part of Foreign direct investment (% of GDP). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Foreign direct investment in Africa. Statizoid, drawing on World Bank country economists. Retrieved 05 September 2026, from https://trade.statizoid.com/stat/foreign-direct-investment-percent-of-gdp/africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Foreign direct investment (% of GDP)
Unit
% of GDP
Source
World Bank country economists
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
47 places, 309 data points, 2005–2011
Last refreshed

Foreign direct investment is 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 total net, that is, net FDI in the reporting economy from foreign sources less net FDI by the reporting economy to the rest of the world. Data are in current U.S. dollars.