Key information about China Foreign Direct Investment

• China Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) increased by 8.5 USD bn in Sep 2025, compared with an increase of 17.4 USD bn in the previous quarter.
• China Foreign Direct Investment: USD mn net flows data is updated quarterly, available from Mar 1998 to Sep 2025.
• The data reached an all-time high of 107.2 USD bn in Mar 2022 and a record low of -15.0 USD bn in Jun 2024.

The State Administration of Foreign Exchange provides quarterly Foreign Direct Investment in USD.


Related information about China Foreign Direct Investment

• In the latest reports of China, Current Account recorded a surplus of 195.6 USD bn in Sep 2025.
• China Direct Investment Abroad expanded by 39.9 USD bn in Sep 2025.
• Its Foreign Portfolio Investment increased by 8.3 USD bn in Jun 2025.
• The country's Nominal GDP was reported at 4,953.4 USD bn in Sep 2025.

Foreign Direct Investment in China increased by 507 USD Hundred Million in August of 2025. This dataset provides the latest reported value for - China Foreign Direct Investment - plus previous releases, historical high and low, short-term forecast and long-term prediction, economic calendar, survey consensus and news.

In 2024, the total value of foreign direct investment (FDI) from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations actually used in mainland China amounted to approximately 11.28 billion U.S. dollars. Around 37.1 percent of that total value have been invested in the manufacturing sector.

Foreign Direct Investment YoY in China decreased by 10.30 percent in October from -10.40 percent in September of 2025. This dataset includes a chart with historical data for China Foreign Direct Investment YoY.

According to data published in China's balance of international payments (BOP), quarterly foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows to China amounted to around *** billion U.S. dollars in the second quarter of 2025. In the third quarter of 2023, inward FDI flows became negative for the first time since the start of the published timeline in 1998, with foreign investors pulling out more money out of the country than they invested.

According to preliminary figures, the value of foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows to China reached approximately ***** billion U.S. dollars in 2024. This was a decrease of around **** percent compared to the previous year. FDI development in China China was the second largest recipient of FDI inflows worldwide in 2023 and has been an attractive destination for foreign investment since it opened-up four decades ago. Annual FDI inflows increased rapidly from around ** billion U.S. dollars in 2000 to *** billion in 2011, but growth rates have dropped thereafter. This was mainly due to high market restrictions and growing competition from domestic companies. In order to improve the investment environment, the Chinese government issued a new Foreign Investment Law in 2019 and took further measures to safeguard the interests of foreign investors. These measures were at least partly responsible for increased FDI inflows in 2020 and 2021. However, geopolitical tensions and questions over China’s intentions to further open-up its economy render future developments in this area highly uncertain. Investor origins and preferred industries According to UNCTAD estimates, around **** percent of investment stock in 2020 originated from the *************, followed by **************************************. However, the picture is blurred by the fact that a large portion of these investments entered China through international financial hubs such as Hong Kong, which officially accounted for ** percent of the Chinese FDI stock in 2020. In terms of invested sectors, FDI distribution has changed a lot over the last 20 years. While manufacturing received around ** percent of annual investments in 2005, that share has dropped to around ** percent in 2020. Today, more than ** percent of the investment value is directed into the service sector.

Actual value and historical data chart for China Foreign Direct Investment Net Inflows Percent Of GDP

Laos (FDI) Foreign Direct Investment: China data was reported at 1,254,236.569 USD th in 2021. This records a decrease from the previous number of 2,599,879.469 USD th for 2020. Laos (FDI) Foreign Direct Investment: China data is updated yearly, averaging 388,438.687 USD th from Dec 2000 (Median) to 2021, with 22 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 2,758,346.750 USD th in 2016 and a record low of 5,325.000 USD th in 2001. Laos (FDI) Foreign Direct Investment: China data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Ministry of Planning and Investment. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Laos – Table LA.O001: Foreign Direct Investment: By Country.

China (FDI) Foreign Direct Investment: Utilized: Asia: Oman data was reported at 5.990 USD mn in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 0.060 USD mn for 2016. China (FDI) Foreign Direct Investment: Utilized: Asia: Oman data is updated yearly, averaging 0.890 USD mn from Dec 1998 (Median) to 2017, with 8 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 8.780 USD mn in 1998 and a record low of 0.000 USD mn in 2012. China (FDI) Foreign Direct Investment: Utilized: Asia: Oman data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Ministry of Commerce. The data is categorized under China Premium Database’s Investment – Table CN.OA: Foreign Direct Investment: Capital Utilized: by Country.

China (FDI) Foreign Direct Investment: Utilized: Prefecture Level City data was reported at 286.501 USD bn in 2014. This records an increase from the previous number of 272.511 USD bn for 2013. China (FDI) Foreign Direct Investment: Utilized: Prefecture Level City data is updated yearly, averaging 88.021 USD bn from Dec 1996 (Median) to 2014, with 19 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 286.501 USD bn in 2014 and a record low of 43.358 USD bn in 1997. China (FDI) Foreign Direct Investment: Utilized: Prefecture Level City data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by National Bureau of Statistics. The data is categorized under China Premium Database’s Investment – Table CN.OT: Foreign Direct Investment: Capital Utilized: Prefecture Level City.

China (FDI) Foreign Direct Investment: Utilized: Asia: Pakistan data was reported at 0.990 USD mn in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 0.650 USD mn for 2016. China (FDI) Foreign Direct Investment: Utilized: Asia: Pakistan data is updated yearly, averaging 2.990 USD mn from Dec 1997 (Median) to 2017, with 21 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 23.230 USD mn in 2014 and a record low of 0.120 USD mn in 1997. China (FDI) Foreign Direct Investment: Utilized: Asia: Pakistan data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Ministry of Commerce. The data is categorized under China Premium Database’s Investment – Table CN.OA: Foreign Direct Investment: Capital Utilized: by Country.

China (FDI) Foreign Direct Investment: Utilized: Latin America: Brazil data was reported at 42.280 USD mn in 2017. This records a decrease from the previous number of 46.670 USD mn for 2016. China (FDI) Foreign Direct Investment: Utilized: Latin America: Brazil data is updated yearly, averaging 23.825 USD mn from Dec 1992 (Median) to 2017, with 26 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 57.600 USD mn in 2012 and a record low of 0.980 USD mn in 1995. China (FDI) Foreign Direct Investment: Utilized: Latin America: Brazil data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Ministry of Commerce. The data is categorized under China Premium Database’s Investment – Table CN.OA: Foreign Direct Investment: Capital Utilized: by Country.

China (FDI) Foreign Direct Investment: Utilized: Year to Date: Europe: Italy data was reported at 232.600 USD mn in Dec 2018. This records an increase from the previous number of 223.680 USD mn for Nov 2018. China (FDI) Foreign Direct Investment: Utilized: Year to Date: Europe: Italy data is updated monthly, averaging 163.495 USD mn from Jan 2006 (Median) to Dec 2018, with 156 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 493.260 USD mn in Dec 2008 and a record low of 2.970 USD mn in Jan 2017. China (FDI) Foreign Direct Investment: Utilized: Year to Date: Europe: Italy data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Ministry of Commerce. The data is categorized under China Premium Database’s Investment – Table CN.OA: Foreign Direct Investment: Capital Utilized: by Country.

Key information about China Foreign Direct Investment: % of GDP

• China Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) registered a fall equal to 0.2 % of the country's Nominal GDP in Sep 2024, compared with a fall equal to 0.3 % in the previous quarter.
• China Foreign Direct Investment: % of Nominal GDP data is updated quarterly, available from Mar 1998 to Sep 2024.
• The data reached an all-time high of 6.8 % in Dec 2006 and a record low -0.3 % in Jun 2024.

CEIC calculates Foreign Direct Investment as % of Nominal GDP from quarterly Foreign Direct Investment and quarterly Nominal GDP. The State Administration of Foreign Exchange provides Foreign Direct Investment in USD. The National Bureau of Statistics provides year-to-date Nominal GDP in local currency. Federal Reserve Board average market exchange rate is used for currency conversions.


Related information about China Foreign Direct Investment: % of GDP

• In the latest reports of China, Current Account recorded a surplus of 147.6 USD bn in Sep 2024.
• Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) fell by 8.3 USD bn in Sep 2024.
• China Direct Investment Abroad expanded by 34.5 USD bn in Sep 2024.
• Its Foreign Portfolio Investment increased by 24.0 USD bn in Sep 2024.
• The country's Nominal GDP was reported at 4,166.8 USD bn in Mar 2023.

Historical dataset showing China foreign direct investment by year from 1979 to 2023.

China (FDI) Foreign Direct Investment: Utilized: Year to Date: Manufacturing data was reported at 45.527 USD bn in Dec 2023. This records a decrease from the previous number of 49.670 USD bn for Dec 2022. China (FDI) Foreign Direct Investment: Utilized: Year to Date: Manufacturing data is updated monthly, averaging 23.389 USD bn from Jan 2006 (Median) to Dec 2023, with 171 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 52.101 USD bn in Dec 2011 and a record low of 2.614 USD bn in Jan 2006. China (FDI) Foreign Direct Investment: Utilized: Year to Date: Manufacturing data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Ministry of Commerce. The data is categorized under China Premium Database’s Investment – Table CN.OA: Foreign Direct Investment: Capital Utilized: by Industry.

Chinese companies invested 28.04 billion U.S. dollars into firms in the United States in 2023, when measured on a historical-cost basis. The total foreign direct investments in the U.S. were valued at approximately 5.39 trillion U.S. dollars in that year. Sino-American relations FDI flows are even higher from the United States into China than the flows in this statistic. In addition to FDI, the countries are linked by billions of U.S. dollars in trade value, much of which includes integrated supply chains which see intermediate products shipped back and forth before a final product goes to consumers. This close economic relationship does not imply a political partnership, however. In fact, the countries engaged in what most analysts consider a trade war starting in 2018. China’s other options China is expanding its Belt and Road Initiative, producing infrastructure investments abroad in different parts of Asia. However, these outflows do not yet reach the values seen in this statistic, partly due to the smaller size of the target economies. Still, the majority of net overseas direct investment from China goes to Asia. This measure is slightly different because it does not give the total volume of investments, but it underscores the importance of regional ties to Chinese investors.

Key information about China Direct Investment Abroad

• China Direct Investment Abroad expanded by 39.9 USD bn in Sep 2025, compared with a growth of 30.1 USD bn in the previous quarter.
• China Direct Investment Abroad: USD mn data is updated quarterly.
• It is available from Mar 1998 to Sep 2025 and averaged 15.1 USD bn throughout the period.
• The data reached an all-time high of 70.8 USD bn in Jun 2024 and a record low of -754.0 USD mn in Sep 2000.

The State Administration of Foreign Exchange provides quarterly Direct Investment Abroad in USD.


Key information about China Direct Investment Abroad

• In the latest reports of China, Current Account recorded a surplus of 195.6 USD bn in Sep 2025.
• Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) increased by 8.5 USD bn in Sep 2025.
• Its Foreign Portfolio Investment increased by 8.3 USD bn in Jun 2025.
• The country's Nominal GDP was reported at 4,953.4 USD bn in Sep 2025.

China (FDI) Foreign Direct Investment: Utilized: Mining data was reported at 1.228 USD bn in 2018. This records a decrease from the previous number of 1.302 USD bn for 2017. China (FDI) Foreign Direct Investment: Utilized: Mining data is updated yearly, averaging 567.525 USD mn from Dec 1997 (Median) to 2018, with 22 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 1.302 USD bn in 2017 and a record low of 96.340 USD mn in 2016. China (FDI) Foreign Direct Investment: Utilized: Mining data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Ministry of Commerce. The data is categorized under Global Database’s China – Table CN.OA: Foreign Direct Investment: Capital Utilized: by Industry.

China (FDI) Foreign Direct Investment: Utilized: Asia: Bangladesh data was reported at 0.100 USD mn in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 0.070 USD mn for 2016. China (FDI) Foreign Direct Investment: Utilized: Asia: Bangladesh data is updated yearly, averaging 0.650 USD mn from Dec 1997 (Median) to 2017, with 21 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 8.850 USD mn in 2005 and a record low of 0.070 USD mn in 2016. China (FDI) Foreign Direct Investment: Utilized: Asia: Bangladesh data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Ministry of Commerce. The data is categorized under China Premium Database’s Investment – Table CN.OA: Foreign Direct Investment: Capital Utilized: by Country.