1970 - 2006

These tables and charts show foreign direct investment inflows and outflows. World-wide foreign direct investment peaked sharply in 1999, and then began to fall between 1999 and 2003. But since 2003 it has been increasing exponentially. The vast majority of foreign direct investment flows between rich countries.

Table Notes: Sums in $US millions, rounded to the nearest million.

Source: UNCTAD Handbook of Statistic

(Created by Tom Hale, July 2003 and Janeen Madan, July 2008)