Skip to content

Ireland's economy ranking: GDP & GDP per capita, debt

Updated on by Georank team

Ireland ranked 26/197 by economy size with a GDP of $577B and 4/197 by GDP per capita at $107,316. Ireland has $237B in government debt, with a debt-to-GDP ratio of 36.7%.

In 2025, Ireland made up 0.52% of the world's economy, compared to 0.15% in 1960.

The chart below shows GDP in nominal terms, GDP adjusted for inflation (in constant dollars), and a bar chart of year-over-year inflation-adjusted growth.

GDP, current $
GDP, constant 2015 $
GDP growth
Year GDP GDP growth
Current $ Constant $
1960 $1,998,550,222 $24,135,304,212 -
1961 $2,151,772,980 $25,345,971,888 7.67%
1962 $2,329,372,972 $26,161,210,989 8.25%
1963 $2,505,073,358 $27,402,464,757 7.54%
1964 $2,851,091,646 $28,439,911,537 13.8%
1965 $3,035,655,794 $28,989,783,007 6.47%
1966 $3,198,820,904 $29,248,688,585 5.37%
1967 $3,445,739,915 $30,940,931,207 7.72%
1968 $3,378,701,147 $33,491,679,547 -1.95%
1969 $3,902,721,632 $35,455,583,097 15.5%
1970 $4,395,995,086 $36,398,889,273 12.6%
1971 $5,098,250,287 $37,661,889,497 16%
1972 $6,318,060,582 $40,106,073,853 23.9%
1973 $7,481,173,066 $41,999,654,025 18.4%
1974 $7,896,860,615 $43,788,935,191 5.56%
1975 $9,483,808,362 $46,265,920,023 20.1%
1976 $9,453,756,015 $46,911,240,716 -0.32%
1977 $11,248,340,431 $50,763,263,747 19%
1978 $14,647,996,074 $54,411,482,150 30.2%
1979 $18,319,334,300 $56,083,566,026 25.1%
1980 $21,747,855,640 $57,810,564,161 18.7%
1981 $20,670,190,138 $59,732,889,691 -4.96%
1982 $21,474,754,080 $61,096,872,066 3.89%
1983 $20,766,047,764 $60,947,611,497 -3.3%
1984 $20,106,648,455 $63,601,496,993 -3.18%
1985 $21,270,013,326 $65,563,994,971 5.79%
1986 $28,714,571,852 $65,283,164,433 35%
1987 $33,920,518,493 $68,327,377,194 18.1%
1988 $37,772,897,421 $71,892,299,777 11.4%
1989 $39,238,392,678 $76,072,060,855 3.88%
1990 $49,305,632,408 $82,512,722,627 25.7%
1991 $49,787,502,852 $84,104,920,354 0.98%
1992 $55,918,538,121 $86,916,779,429 12.3%
1993 $52,417,477,614 $89,257,108,591 -6.26%
1994 $57,097,656,066 $94,394,592,358 8.93%
1995 $69,139,823,232 $103,488,966,796 21.1%
1996 $75,790,785,030 $111,126,062,335 9.62%
1997 $82,856,648,758 $123,374,112,120 9.32%
1998 $90,199,410,116 $134,189,242,521 8.86%
1999 $98,893,958,263 $148,319,214,947 9.64%
2000 $100,207,610,430 $162,266,448,874 1.33%
2001 $109,346,669,230 $170,876,017,448 9.12%
2002 $128,596,035,288 $180,956,619,890 17.6%
2003 $164,670,771,260 $186,410,359,135 28.1%
2004 $194,372,115,041 $199,064,153,315 18%
2005 $211,876,989,656 $210,490,003,080 9.01%
2006 $232,180,617,162 $220,988,938,813 9.58%
2007 $270,079,279,420 $232,723,709,425 16.3%
2008 $275,447,471,451 $222,288,216,395 1.99%
2009 $236,443,117,248 $210,960,893,946 -14.2%
2010 $221,985,621,538 $214,511,307,293 -6.11%
2011 $241,337,364,610 $218,048,113,964 8.72%
2012 $227,270,922,957 $217,178,188,158 -5.83%
2013 $243,301,556,085 $221,939,116,699 7.05%
2014 $266,787,238,499 $242,659,427,540 9.65%
2015 $302,391,428,540 $302,391,428,540 13.3%
2016 $305,733,136,181 $306,088,582,543 1.11%
2017 $348,532,394,024 $336,849,347,915 14%
2018 $395,461,216,460 $362,262,415,223 13.5%
2019 $407,124,824,065 $380,522,433,254 2.95%
2020 $436,555,518,400 $407,759,843,938 7.23%
2021 $531,306,516,908 $474,043,708,272 21.7%
2022 $548,570,250,342 $514,903,922,090 3.25%
2023 $551,394,889,340 $486,429,697,154 0.51%
2024 $577,389,475,010 $492,370,629,886 4.71%

Economic Statistics of Ireland

Ireland Rank
Gross domestic product
$577B
2024
26/197
GDP growth
4.71%
2023-2024
115/196
GDP per capita
$107,316
2024
4/197
GDP per capita, PPP
$131,175
2024
4/197
Government debt
$237B
2024
38/185
Debt-to-GDP ratio
36.7%
2025
143/185
Government debt per person
$44,121
2024
11/185
Average annual personal income after taxes
$44,579
2025
13/197
Listed domestic companies
43
2018
73/103
Market capitalization of domestic companies
$110B
2018
38/100
Number of billionaires
11
2025
32/78
Billionaire frequency
1 in 365,123
2025
14/78
Income share by richest 10%
24.1%
2023
137/169
Income share by poorest 10%
3.7%
2023
26/169
Government expenditure, % of GDP
23.9%
2025
132/195
Consumer prices inflation
2.11%
2023-2024
136/195
Unemployment rate
4.27%
2024
118/196
Population
5474763
120/197

Ireland's GDP per capita

Ireland has a GDP per capita of $107,316, ranking 4/197, a GDP per capita based on purchasing power parity (PPP) of $131,175, ranking 4/197, and a median annual after tax income of $44,579, ranking 13/197.

GDP per capita
GDP per capita, PPP
Year Current $
GDP per capita GDP per capita, PPP
1960 $707 -
1961 $762 -
1962 $821 -
1963 $878 -
1964 $995 -
1965 $1,055 -
1966 $1,107 -
1967 $1,187 -
1968 $1,159 -
1969 $1,331 -
1970 $1,487 -
1971 $1,704 -
1972 $2,080 -
1973 $2,424 -
1974 $2,517 -
1975 $2,973 -
1976 $2,920 -
1977 $3,427 -
1978 $4,400 -
1979 $5,430 -
1980 $6,372 -
1981 $5,986 -
1982 $6,161 -
1983 $5,915 -
1984 $5,692 -
1985 $6,012 -
1986 $8,112 -
1987 $9,582 -
1988 $10,716 -
1989 $11,176 -
1990 $14,031 $13,734
1991 $14,087 $14,389
1992 $15,714 $15,106
1993 $14,657 $15,801
1994 $15,903 $17,000
1995 $19,158 $18,932
1996 $20,836 $20,474
1997 $22,551 $22,632
1998 $24,295 $25,092
1999 $26,338 $27,041
2000 $26,335 $30,209
2001 $28,282 $32,577
2002 $32,705 $35,222
2003 $41,204 $36,285
2004 $47,754 $38,734
2005 $50,933 $40,466
2006 $54,329 $44,232
2007 $61,396 $46,784
2008 $61,353 $44,169
2009 $52,133 $41,470
2010 $48,679 $43,217
2011 $52,693 $45,526
2012 $49,412 $46,726
2013 $52,619 $48,839
2014 $57,278 $52,641
2015 $64,312 $71,607
2016 $64,193 $73,013
2017 $72,198 $80,450
2018 $80,739 $86,299
2019 $81,810 $92,023
2020 $86,623 $97,800
2021 $103,962 $116,904
2022 $105,235 $136,104
2023 $103,888 $124,901
2024 $107,316 $131,175

Ireland's government spending, deficit, and chart

This chart shows Ireland's government spending, budget balance, and debt over time, each expressed as a share of GDP.

Over the past 50 years, Ireland recorded a fiscal deficit in 34 years — average annual deficit equal to -4.14% of GDP. In 2024, government spending reached $135B (23.9% of GDP), with a surplus of +1.69%.

The national debt reached $237B, ranking 38th out of 185 countries by total size, with a debt-to-GDP ratio of 36.7%, ranking 143rd.

Government spending
Government debt
Deficit/surplus
Year % of GDP
Government spending Government debt Government deficit/surplus
1926 18.3% - -1.95%
1927 - - -1.95%
1928 - - -1.95%
1929 18.6% 14.9% -3.41%
1930 - - -3.41%
1931 19% - -1.63%
1932 - - -1.63%
1933 24.5% 23.3% 2.97%
1934 - - 2.97%
1935 - - 2.97%
1936 21.8% 31.4% -0.19%
1937 22.8% 31.3% -0.77%
1938 20.8% 31.2% -0.92%
1939 26.9% 37.4% -7.31%
1940 19.5% 36.2% -0.15%
1941 19.3% 33.4% -1.42%
1942 19.8% 33.6% -2.48%
1943 18% 30.8% -1.18%
1944 17.4% 29.4% 0.39%
1945 17.2% 28.7% -0.43%
1946 18% 28.1% -0.43%
1947 18.9% 27.3% -1.8%
1948 20.8% 27.2% -1.29%
1949 22.7% 28.7% -2.17%
1950 25.9% 38.7% -5.21%
1951 22.6% 41.3% -4.62%
1952 25.9% 45.6% -7.84%
1953 25.3% 49.2% -5.77%
1954 26.2% 52.8% -5.28%
1955 24.7% 55.4% -5.06%
1956 24.8% 58.2% -3.23%
1957 27.2% 60.5% -5.19%
1958 26.5% 62.8% -4.3%
1959 23.6% 61.2% -2.16%
1960 29.1% 44.9% -1.97%
1961 31.4% 44.3% -2.6%
1962 31.7% 44.5% -2.91%
1963 33.6% 45.2% -2.92%
1964 34.8% 43.1% -3.35%
1965 35.8% 44.6% -3.5%
1966 36.9% 47.7% -2.26%
1967 39.3% 47.1% -2.69%
1968 40% 44.7% -2.72%
1969 42.5% 42.6% -3.4%
1970 44.1% 41.7% -3.64%
1971 45.3% 39.8% -3.5%
1972 41.5% 37.3% -3.23%
1973 40.3% 35.1% -3.84%
1974 44.3% 43.5% -6.96%
1975 48.2% 48.3% -11.1%
1976 47.8% 51.7% -7.34%
1977 44.6% 49.2% -6.44%
1978 46.2% 50.6% -8.27%
1979 48.7% 63.5% -10%
1980 53.7% 64.6% -11.1%
1981 54.1% 68.8% -12.1%
1982 56.7% 73.5% -13.1%
1983 55.6% 86.1% -11.5%
1984 52.7% 90.2% -9.43%
1985 53.2% 93% -10.7%
1986 52.9% 107.2% -10.5%
1987 51.4% 108.3% -8.47%
1988 48.2% 106.5% -4.62%
1989 42.5% 97.9% -2.64%
1990 44.6% 92.7% -2.69%
1991 46.1% 93.8% -2.8%
1992 46.8% 90.6% -2.84%
1993 44.6% 93.4% -2.62%
1994 44.2% 88% -1.82%
1995 40.3% 78.5% -2.07%
1996 38.5% 69.8% -0.2%
1997 36.1% 61.6% 1.37%
1998 34.2% 51.4% 2.07%
1999 32.5% 46.6% 3.54%
2000 30.6% 36.4% 4.86%
2001 32.2% 33.6% 0.96%
2002 32.9% 30.9% -0.52%
2003 32.7% 29.8% 0.35%
2004 32.8% 28.1% 1.3%
2005 33% 26.1% 1.57%
2006 33.6% 23.7% 2.78%
2007 35.6% 23.9% 0.27%
2008 41.6% 42.5% -7.03%
2009 46.9% 61.8% -13.9%
2010 64.9% 86.1% -32.1%
2011 46.8% 109.4% -13.5%
2012 42.2% 118.7% -8.4%
2013 39.8% 117.5% -6.27%
2014 36.5% 101.3% -3.51%
2015 28% 74% -1.97%
2016 27.5% 72.6% -0.76%
2017 25.3% 65.2% -0.3%
2018 24.8% 61.5% 0.09%
2019 23.9% 55.9% 0.41%
2020 26.7% 57% -4.88%
2021 23.6% 52.6% -1.4%
2022 20.6% 43.1% 1.65%
2023 22.7% 43.3% 1.48%
2024 23.4% 41.1% 4.38%
2025 23.9% 36.7% 1.69%

Inflation rate by year

Over the past 20 years, Ireland has had an average annual inflation rate of 1.73%. In 2024, inflation was 2.11%. The bar chart below shows consumer price inflation by year.

Year Inflation
1960 0.45%
1961 2.76%
1962 4.26%
1963 2.45%
1964 6.72%
1965 4.99%
1966 3.05%
1967 3.18%
1968 4.68%
1969 7.42%
1970 8.21%
1971 8.96%
1972 8.61%
1973 11.4%
1974 17%
1975 20.9%
1976 18%
1977 13.5%
1978 7.71%
1979 13.3%
1980 18.2%
1981 20.4%
1982 17.1%
1983 10.4%
1984 8.65%
1985 5.4%
1986 3.83%
1987 3.16%
1988 2.13%
1989 4.09%
1990 3.32%
1991 3.21%
1992 3.07%
1993 1.47%
1994 2.31%
1995 2.52%
1996 1.76%
1997 1.54%
1998 2.41%
1999 1.63%
2000 5.58%
2001 4.85%
2002 4.63%
2003 3.49%
2004 2.18%
2005 2.46%
2006 3.94%
2007 4.89%
2008 4.04%
2009 -4.45%
2010 -0.92%
2011 2.55%
2012 1.69%
2013 0.52%
2014 0.19%
2015 -0.33%
2016 0.02%
2017 0.36%
2018 0.47%
2019 0.94%
2020 -0.33%
2021 2.34%
2022 7.83%
2023 6.3%
2024 2.11%

Balance of trade

Ireland Rank
Current account balance
$44.7B
2023
14/189
Current account balance, % of GDP
+8.11%
2023
20/189
Goods imports
$162B
2023
30/188
Goods exports
$330B
2023
22/188
Service imports
$419B
2023
4/188
Service exports
$431B
2023
4/188
Imports of goods and services, % of GDP
105.4%
2024
8/180
Exports of goods and services, % of GDP
147.6%
2024
5/193

Ireland's top 10 trading partners

Ireland's biggest trading partner accounting for 34.5%% of all exports and imports is the United States, with a trade balance between the two of -$105B — Ireland exports $124B worth of goods and services to the United States and imports $228B.

Below is the list of the top 10 trade partners of Ireland.

Rank Country Trade value Share of total trade Export to Import from Top export to Top import from
1 United States $352B 34.5% $124B $228B Chemicals & pharma IT & IP services
2 United Kingdom $120B 11.7% $69B $51B IT & IP services Business & finance services
3 Germany $70B 6.85% $47.7B $22.3B IT & IP services Business & finance services
4 Netherlands $65.1B 6.37% $39.4B $25.7B Chemicals & pharma Business & finance services
5 France $41.5B 4.07% $21.2B $20.3B IT & IP services Machinery & equipment
6 China $40.4B 3.95% $20.7B $19.7B Machinery & equipment Machinery & equipment
7 Belgium $34.3B 3.36% $23.7B $10.6B Chemicals & pharma Business & finance services
8 Italy $26.1B 2.55% $18.6B $7.44B Chemicals & pharma Business & finance services
9 Japan $23B 2.25% $18B $5.08B IT & IP services Machinery & equipment
10 Switzerland $22.6B 2.21% $10.6B $12B IT & IP services IT & IP services

Ireland's top 10 exports

Ireland Rank
IT & IP services $222B 1/183
Chemicals & pharma $157B 6/193
Business & finance services $101B 6/188
Machinery & equipment $54.7B 28/193
Transport & tourism services $19.2B 32/188
Animal & marine products $10.4B 17/192
Processed food, beverages & tobacco $8.48B 30/192
Raw materials & minerals $4.32B 79/193
Manufacturing & construction services $3.44B 27/164
Textiles & consumer goods $2B 60/193

Ireland's top 10 imports

Ireland Rank
Business & finance services $196B 2/188
IT & IP services $149B 1/182
Machinery & equipment $66.2B 32/193
Chemicals & pharma $33.9B 22/193
Transport & tourism services $17.4B 37/188
Manufacturing & construction services $12.4B 5/163
Raw materials & minerals $12.2B 46/193
Textiles & consumer goods $9.02B 37/193
Processed food, beverages & tobacco $8.84B 30/193
Metals $4.09B 53/193

Economic freedom indices

Ireland Rank
Economic freedom 83.1 3/197
Property rights 94.1 16/182
Government integrity 84 16/182
Judicial effectiveness 95.5 16/182
Tax burden 77.6 104/181
Government spending 85.1 44/180
Fiscal health 95.8 25/181
Business freedom 88.1 11/182
Labor freedom 62.4 45/182
Monetary freedom 75 42/180
Trade freedom 79.6 42/181
Investment freedom 90 5/181
Financial freedom 70 25/181

Ireland's economic freedom by year

Ireland is ranked 3/180 for economic freedom with a score of 83.1, compared to 3/163 and a score of 80.8 in 2005.

Economic freedom
Judicial effectiveness
Tax burden
Government spending
Fiscal health
Year Index
Economic freedom Judicial effectiveness Tax burden Government spending Fiscal health
1995 68.5 - 49.1 38.7 -
1996 68.5 - 49.1 39 -
1997 72.6 - 49.9 41.1 -
1998 73.7 - 51.8 48.3 -
1999 74.6 - 55.9 53 -
2000 76.1 - 60.6 63.3 -
2001 81.2 - 63 71.2 -
2002 80.5 - 66.5 69.3 -
2003 80.9 - 69.4 66.3 -
2004 80.3 - 71.8 66.3 -
2005 80.8 - 72.6 64.5 -
2006 82.2 - 72 64.7 -
2007 82.6 - 71.7 65.9 -
2008 82.5 - 71.5 64.5 -
2009 82.2 - 69.2 64.9 -
2010 81.3 - 71.1 61.8 -
2011 78.7 - 72.1 47.1 -
2012 76.9 - 73.9 30.4 -
2013 75.7 - 73.8 28.8 -
2014 76.2 - 74 30.6 -
2015 76.6 - 73.6 45.6 -
2016 77.3 - 73.6 50.3 -
2017 76.7 78.3 72.7 57.1 60.3
2018 80.4 79 76.1 69.6 80.8
2019 80.5 68.4 76.3 77.4 89
2020 80.9 64.4 76.4 78.8 91.4
2021 81.4 72.4 76.6 81.1 93.1
2022 82 93 76.5 79.9 89
2023 82 82.8 78.4 80.5 86.8
2024 82.6 94.3 78 82.4 91.7
2025 83.1 95.5 77.6 85.1 95.8

More economic indicators

Ireland Rank
Services, % of GDP
61.8%
2024
64/191
Industry, % of GDP
30.8%
2024
51/194
Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, % of GDP
1.05%
2024
171/193
GNI, Atlas method
$419B
2024
37/194
GNI per capita, PPP
$99,470
2024
5/191
Total reserves including gold
$12.7B
2024
73/177
Net foreign direct investment
$12.9B
2023
12/188
Net inflows of foreign direct investment
-$38.9B
2024
191/193
Net outflows of foreign direct investment
$24.9B
2024
18/187
Poverty at national poverty lines
14%
2021
137/176
Gross capital formation, % of GDP
17.4%
2024
145/176

Compare countries by 7 more topics

GDP per capita map

GDP per capita

Economy comparisons

Economy vs Ireland
Afghanistan Compare
Albania Compare
Algeria Compare
Andorra Compare
Angola Compare
Antigua Compare
Argentina Compare
Armenia Compare
Australia Compare
Austria Compare
Azerbaijan Compare
Bahamas Compare
Bahrain Compare
Bangladesh Compare
Barbados Compare
Belarus Compare
Belgium Compare
Belize Compare
Benin Compare
Bhutan Compare
Bolivia Compare
Bosnia Compare
Botswana Compare
Brazil Compare
Brunei Compare
Bulgaria Compare
Burkina Faso Compare
Burundi Compare
Cambodia Compare
Cameroon Compare
Canada Compare
Cape Verde Compare
Cayman Islands Compare
CAR Compare
Chad Compare
Chile Compare
China Compare
Colombia Compare
Comoros Compare
Congo Compare
Costa Rica Compare
Croatia Compare
Cuba Compare
Curacao Compare
Cyprus Compare
Czech Republic Compare
DR Congo Compare
Denmark Compare
Djibouti Compare
Dominica Compare
Dominican Republic Compare
East Timor Compare
Ecuador Compare
Egypt Compare
El Salvador Compare
Equatorial Guinea Compare
Eritrea Compare
Estonia Compare
Eswatini Compare
Ethiopia Compare
Fiji Compare
Finland Compare
France Compare
Gabon Compare
Gambia Compare
Georgia Compare
Germany Compare
Ghana Compare
Greece Compare
Grenada Compare
Guatemala Compare
Guinea Compare
Guinea-Bissau Compare
Guyana Compare
Haiti Compare
Honduras Compare
Hungary Compare
Iceland Compare
India Compare
Indonesia Compare
Iran Compare
Iraq Compare
Israel Compare
Italy Compare
Ivory Coast Compare
Jamaica Compare
Japan Compare
Jordan Compare
Kazakhstan Compare
Kenya Compare
Kiribati Compare
Kuwait Compare
Kyrgyzstan Compare
Laos Compare
Latvia Compare
Lebanon Compare
Lesotho Compare
Liberia Compare
Libya Compare
Liechtenstein Compare
Lithuania Compare
Luxembourg Compare
Madagascar Compare
Malawi Compare
Malaysia Compare
Maldives Compare
Mali Compare
Malta Compare
Marshall Islands Compare
Mauritania Compare
Mauritius Compare
Mexico Compare
Moldova Compare
Monaco Compare
Mongolia Compare
Montenegro Compare
Morocco Compare
Mozambique Compare
Myanmar Compare
Namibia Compare
Nauru Compare
Nepal Compare
Netherlands Compare
New Zealand Compare
Nicaragua Compare
Niger Compare
Nigeria Compare
North Korea Compare
North Macedonia Compare
Norway Compare
Oman Compare
Pakistan Compare
Palau Compare
Palestine Compare
Panama Compare
Papua New Guinea Compare
Paraguay Compare
Peru Compare
Philippines Compare
Poland Compare
Portugal Compare
Qatar Compare
Romania Compare
Russia Compare
Rwanda Compare
Saint Kitts Compare
Saint Lucia Compare
Saint Vincent Compare
Samoa Compare
San Marino Compare
Sao Tome Compare
Saudi Arabia Compare
Senegal Compare
Serbia Compare
Seychelles Compare
Sierra Leone Compare
Singapore Compare
Slovakia Compare
Slovenia Compare
Solomon Islands Compare
Somalia Compare
South Africa Compare
South Korea Compare
South Sudan Compare
Spain Compare
Sri Lanka Compare
Sudan Compare
Suriname Compare
Sweden Compare
Switzerland Compare
Syria Compare
Taiwan Compare
Tajikistan Compare
Tanzania Compare
Thailand Compare
Togo Compare
Tonga Compare
Trinidad Compare
Tunisia Compare
Turkey Compare
Turkmenistan Compare
Tuvalu Compare
Uganda Compare
Ukraine Compare
UAE Compare
United Kingdom Compare
United States Compare
Uruguay Compare
Uzbekistan Compare
Vanuatu Compare
Vatican Compare
Venezuela Compare
Vietnam Compare
Yemen Compare
Zambia Compare
Zimbabwe Compare

The current account balance is the sum of net trade in goods and services, net earnings from cross-border investments, and net transfer payments. It reflects a country's economic transactions with the rest of the world and is a fundamental component of the balance of payments. A surplus indicates that a country exports more than it imports, while a deficit shows the opposite.

Gross National Income (GNI) measures a country's total income. It encompasses income earned by residents, businesses, and foreign sources, defined as employee compensation and investment profits. GNI adds product taxes not included elsewhere and subtracts subsidies. It accounts for income from residents working abroad but excludes earnings from foreigners within the country.

A negative value for Net Foreign Direct Investment indicates a country is a net receiver of investments, as foreign inflows exceed outflows after Balance of Payments adjustments. A positive value indicates a net provider, with outflows exceeding inflows. Inflows are credits (increasing foreign claims on domestic assets), while outflows are debits (increasing domestic assets abroad).

Foreign direct investment (FDI, net inflows) shows how much capital foreign investors bring into a country after accounting for any funds that flow back in the opposite direction. It represents the net value of overseas companies establishing, expanding, or financing businesses in the reporting country. A positive number means more capital entered the country than was withdrawn, while a negative number means foreign investors pulled out more than they invested.

Foreign direct investment (FDI, net outflows) shows how much capital residents of a country invest abroad after accounting for any funds that flow back in the opposite direction. It represents the net value of domestic companies establishing, expanding, or financing businesses in other countries. A positive number means more capital was invested abroad than withdrawn, while a negative number means residents pulled back more than they invested.

Formerly gross domestic investment, gross capital formation measures the share of a country’s economic output invested in fixed assets, including buildings, machinery, and infrastructure. It indicates how much of the economy is devoted to building productive capacity.