Foreign direct investment, net outflows (% of GDP)

Foreign direct investment refers to direct investment equity flows in an 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. This series shows net outflows of investment from the reporting economy to the rest of the world. Data are in current U.S. dollars.

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.

Foreign direct investment is the 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 net inflows (new investment inflows less disinvestment) in the reporting economy from foreign investors, and is divided by GDP.

FDI is an investment which aims to acquire a lasting management influence (10 percent or more of the voting stock) in an enterprise operating in a foreign economy. FDI may be undertaken by individuals, as well as business entities. The foreign direct investor most often is aiming to gain access to natural resources, to markets, to labour supply, to technology, to ensure security of supplies or to control the quality of a certain product. FDI can be decomposed into two types of investments: mergers and acquisitions (MA) and greenfield investments. The latter type results in the creation of new entities and the setting up of offices, buildings, plants or factories from scratch in a foreign economy. FDI is the sum of equity capital, reinvested earnings and other FDI capital. Equity capital comprises equity in branches, all shares in subsidiaries and associates (except non-participating, preferred shares that are treated as debt securities and are included under other FDI capital) and other contributions such as the provision of machinery. Reinvested earnings consist of the direct investor's share (in proportion to equity participation) of earnings not distributed by the direct investment enterprise. Other FDI capital (loans) includes the borrowing and lending of funds, including debt securities and trade credits between direct investors and direct investment enterprises. FDI inflows and outflows are important for tracking the direct investment conditions each year. Outward Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) flows record the value of cross-border direct investment transactions from the reporting economy during a year. It represents transactions affecting the investment in enterprises resident abroad. Whereas, Inward Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) flows record the value of cross-border direct investment transactions received by the reporting economy during a year. It represents transactions affecting the investment in enterprises of a specific industry resident in the reporting economy.

Portfolio investment includes cross-border flows and positions involving debt or equity securities, other than those included in direct investment or reserve assets. This indicator is expressed in current prices, meaning no adjustment has been made to account for price changes over time. This indicator is expressed in United States dollars.

Portfolio equity includes net inflows from equity securities other than those recorded as direct investment and including shares, stocks, depository receipts (American or global), and direct purchases of shares in local stock markets by foreign investors. Data are in current U.S. dollars.