Foreign direct investment in Sub-Saharan Africa

Sub-Saharan Africa: Foreign direct investment was 2.9% in 2010. ▲ Rising

Latest (2010)
2.9%
Change on year
down 10.9%
Rank
4th
of 6 groups
All-time high
3.7%
in 2008
All-time low
1.3%
in 2006
Years of data
6
2005–2010

Foreign direct investment in Sub-Saharan Africa, 2005–2010

012342005200720102005: 2.8 % of GDP2006: 1.3 % of GDP2007: 2.7 % of GDP2008: 3.7 % of GDP2009: 3.2 % of GDP2010: 2.9 % of GDP

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

Analysis

In 2010, foreign direct investment in Sub-Saharan Africa stood at 2.9%.

That represents a change of down 10.9% on the previous year and up 4.5% over ten years.

Foreign direct investment in Sub-Saharan Africa, year by year

Annual values for Foreign direct investment (% of GDP) in Sub-Saharan Africa, 2005 to 2010.
Year % of GDP Change
2005 2.8%
2006 1.3% -52.3%
2007 2.7% +102.4%
2008 3.7% +37.7%
2009 3.2% -11.7%
2010 2.9% -10.9%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 2.7% 1.3% 3.7% 5
2010s 2.9% 2.9% 2.9% 1

Countries ranked near Sub-Saharan Africa

  1. 1 Mauritius 119.1% compare
  2. 2 Liberia 84.9% compare
  3. 3 Sierra Leone 24.0% compare
  4. 4 Guinea 18.8% compare
  5. 5 Niger 18.5% compare
  6. 6 Mozambique 16.4% compare
  7. 7 Sao Tome and Principe 14.0% compare

See the full ranking of 47 places →

More trade data for Sub-Saharan Africa

All data for Sub-Saharan Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is foreign direct investment in Sub-Saharan Africa?
Foreign direct investment in Sub-Saharan Africa was 2.9% in 2010, according to World Bank country economists.
What is the highest foreign direct investment recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa?
The highest recorded value was 3.7% in 2008.
What is the lowest foreign direct investment recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 1.3% in 2006.
How does Sub-Saharan Africa rank for foreign direct investment?
Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 4th out of 6 groups with data for 2010.
Is foreign direct investment rising or falling in Sub-Saharan Africa?
Over the last ten years it is up 4.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Sub-Saharan 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 Sub-Saharan Africa. Statizoid, drawing on World Bank country economists. Retrieved 10 September 2026, from https://trade.statizoid.com/stat/foreign-direct-investment-percent-of-gdp/sub-saharan-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.