Key information about China Foreign Direct Investment

• China Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) fell by 8.3 USD bn in Sep 2024, compared with a drop of 14.9 USD bn in the previous quarter.
• China Foreign Direct Investment: USD mn net flows data is updated quarterly, available from Mar 1998 to Sep 2024.
• The data reached an all-time high of 107.2 USD bn in Mar 2022 and a record low of -14.9 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 147.6 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.

Foreign Direct Investment in China increased by 498.80 USD Hundred Million in May 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.

China foreign direct investment for 2023 was 42.73 billion US dollars, a 77.54% decline from 2022.

<ul style='margin-top:20px;'>

<li>China foreign direct investment for 2022 was <strong>190.20 billion US dollars</strong>, a <strong>44.72% decline</strong> from 2021.</li>
<li>China foreign direct investment for 2021 was <strong>344.07 billion US dollars</strong>, a <strong>35.95% increase</strong> from 2020.</li>
<li>China foreign direct investment for 2020 was <strong>253.10 billion US dollars</strong>, a <strong>35.22% increase</strong> from 2019.</li>
</ul>Foreign direct investment refers to direct investment equity flows in the reporting economy. It is the sum of equity capital, reinvestment of earnings, and other capital. Direct investment is a category of cross-border investment associated with a resident in one economy having control or a significant degree of influence on the management of an enterprise that is resident in another economy. Ownership of 10 percent or more of the ordinary shares of voting stock is the criterion for determining the existence of a direct investment relationship. Data are in current U.S. dollars.

This statistic displays the value of foreign direct investment (FDI) inward stock in China in selected years from 2000 to 2024. In 2024, the FDI inward stock in China amounted to approximately 3.65 trillion U.S. dollars.

Foreign Direct Investment YoY in China decreased to -13.20 percent in May from -10.90 percent in April of 2025. This dataset includes a chart with historical data for China Foreign Direct Investment YoY.

Foreign direct investment, net inflows (% of GDP) in China was reported at 0.24011 % in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. China - Foreign direct investment, net inflows (% of GDP) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on June of 2025.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Mexico (FDI) Foreign Direct Investment: China data was reported at 213,534.616 USD th in Dec 2024. This records a decrease from the previous number of 263,063.987 USD th for Sep 2024. Mexico (FDI) Foreign Direct Investment: China data is updated quarterly, averaging 7,949.554 USD th from Mar 1999 (Median) to Dec 2024, with 104 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 319,355.859 USD th in Jun 2022 and a record low of -64,984.682 USD th in Dec 2019. Mexico (FDI) Foreign Direct Investment: China data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Ministry of Economy. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Mexico – Table MX.O007: Foreign Direct Investments: by Country.

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 first 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.

In 2023, total annual foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows into China amounted to around ****** billion U.S. dollars. According to official accounts, approximately ***** billion U.S. dollars were invested from Hong Kong and *** billion from the U.S. However, this picture might not be representative for the actual origin of these money flows. Who are the investors? International financial hubs play an important role in directing foreign financial streams to China. According to official accounts, more than ** percent of the inward Chinese FDI stock in 2023 had entered China through *********, while a substantial share also came from the **************. These financial hubs offer favorable conditions or services to international investors, who are in most of the cases located in a third country. According to calculations by UNCTAD, made in an attempt to trace back ultimate investors, approximately **** percent of the total Chinese inward FDI stock in 2020 originated from investors in the United States, *** percent from Japan, and *** percent from the United Kingdom. Only **** percent originated from Hong Kong, while **** percent came from within China, from Chinese companies not registered on the mainland. Investment destinations in China Although China’s economic development has spread from Eastern China into the inner provinces, foreign FDI inflows are still mainly directed towards the coastal regions, which attracted more than ** percent of total investments in recent years. Foreign companies were most active in the Yangtze River Delta, namely in Shanghai, Jiangsu, and Zhejiang province, in the Greater Bay Area in Guangdong, and in the north in Beijing, Tianjin, and Shandong province. Many investments were made in Special Economic Zones, which provide beneficial conditions for foreign investors.

(FDI) Foreign Direct Investment: Utilized: Shanghai data was reported at 17.673 USD bn in 2024. This records a decrease from the previous number of 24.087 USD bn for 2023. (FDI) Foreign Direct Investment: Utilized: Shanghai data is updated yearly, averaging 5.440 USD bn from Dec 1981 (Median) to 2024, with 44 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 24.087 USD bn in 2023 and a record low of 3.000 USD mn in 1982. (FDI) Foreign Direct Investment: Utilized: Shanghai data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Shanghai Municipal Bureau of Statistics. The data is categorized under China Premium Database’s Investment – Table CN.OT: Foreign Direct Investment: Capital Utilized: Prefecture Level City.

Foreign direct investment, net (BoP, current US$) in China was reported at 142573770574 USD in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. China - Foreign direct investment, net (BoP, current US$) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on June of 2025.

This statistic shows the direct investment position of the United States in China from 2000 to 2023, on a historical-cost basis. In 2023, the U.S. investments made in China were valued at 126.91 billion U.S. dollars. Direct investment position of the United States - additional information Foreign direct investment (FDI), simply put, is an investment of one company into another company located in a different country. It differs from a traditional way of investing into shares of foreign companies listed on a stock exchange. The companies which make foreign direct investment usually own a part of the company in which they invest and they have influence on the decision making process. In the United States, FDI is defined as an American investor (called the U.S. parent) owning a minimum of 10 percent of a foreign firm (known as a foreign affiliate). The total direct position of the United States abroad amounted to 6.68 trillion U.S. dollars in 2023. Although the phenomenon profits greatly from the technological advances of the 21st century, as well as from the cultural flexibility of today’s workforce, FDI has a long history, going back to the colonial empires. Not without critics, FDI is generally believed to bring advantages to the investing company, such as access to new markets and decreased costs of labor, materials and production facilities. The local economy can benefit from an infusion of capital, access to new technologies and engagement of native labor pool. There are three recognized types of foreign direct investment, namely horizontal FDI, platform FDI and vertical FDI, along with various methods of implementing the investment itself. FDI considered by many one of the motors of worldwide economic growth. U.S. foreign investment abroad has seen a dramatic growth in the past decades. Multinational American corporations, especially focused on manufacturing, have largely invested in facilities overseas, due to financial benefits. However, a large share of these corporations focuses toward not only supplying the U.S. market, but also the local markets in which they operate. In 2020, the country that received the largest amount of U.S. foreign investment was the United Kingdom, with a little over one trillion U.S. dollars, followed by the Netherlands, and Luxembourg. Overall, the total amount of U.S. dollars invested in European states in 2021 reached 3.98 trillion U.S. dollars compared to 2.25 trillion U.S. dollars a decade prior.

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.

According to preliminary figures, cumulative foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows to China from January to April 2025 amounted to approximately ****** billion yuan. This was **** percent less than in the same period of the previous year. According to revised annual figures, total FDI flows to China reached around ***** billion U.S. dollars in 2023.

Key information about China Direct Investment Abroad

• China Direct Investment Abroad expanded by 34.5 USD bn in Sep 2024, compared with a growth of 71.0 USD bn in the previous quarter.
• China Direct Investment Abroad: USD mn data is updated quarterly.
• It is available from Mar 1998 to Sep 2024 and averaged 15.4 USD bn throughout the period.
• The data reached an all-time high of 71.0 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 147.6 USD bn in Sep 2024.
• Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) fell by 8.3 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.

This statistic shows the capital stock of Chinese foreign direct investments (FDI) in Latin America from 2013 to 2023. In 2023, China's FDI capital stock in Latin American countries amounted to around ***** billion U.S. dollars.