Nepal FDI Inflows
Foreign direct investment, net inflows as % of GDP BX.KLT.DINV.WD.GD.ZS
Nepal's fdi inflows was 0.02% in 2025, ranked 168th globally. This represents a 81.4% decrease from 2024. Data from World Bank, covering 1972–2025.
Overview
Nepal's fdi inflows stood at 0.02% in 2025, a decline of +0.11% from 2024. Based on recent trends, this figure is projected to reach 0.02% by 2025. Nepal ranked 168th globally.
Nepal’s foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows have remained modest over the 49‑year series, registering a World Bank estimate of 0.02 percent of gross domestic product in 2025, which placed the country 168th globally. The trajectory shows a brief surge to an all‑time peak of 0.68 percent in 2017, followed by a sharp reversal to an all‑time trough of –0.10 percent in 2002, indicating periods of both attraction and disinvestment. Compared with peer economies, Nepal’s 2025 inflow is lower than Haiti’s 0.07 percent and South Africa’s 0.08 percent, yet higher than Germany’s –0.01 percent, underscoring the relative weakness of its investment climate. The limited and volatile nature of FDI reflects structural constraints such as inadequate infrastructure, regulatory bottlenecks, and limited market size, which have hindered sustained capital attraction. Strengthening policy certainty, improving ease of doing business, and expanding sectoral incentives could shift the current low‑level trend upward, potentially raising Nepal’s share of FDI in the coming years.
Data & projection
| Year | FDI Inflows | YoY change | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2027* trend | -0.14% | - | - |
| 2026* trend | -0.06% | - | - |
| 2025* trend | 0.02% | - | - |
| 2025 | 0.02% | −0.11% | #168 |
| 2024 | 0.13% | −0.05% | #165 |
| 2023 | 0.18% | +0.02% | #169 |
| 2022 | 0.16% | −0.37% | #170 |
| 2021 | 0.53% | +0.15% | #163 |
| 2020 | 0.38% | −0.16% | #149 |
| 2019 | 0.54% | +0.34% | #164 |
| 2018 | 0.21% | −0.47% | #168 |
| 2017 | 0.68% | +0.25% | #161 |
| 2016 | 0.43% | +0.22% | #173 |
| 2015 | 0.21% | +0.08% | #174 |
| 2014 | 0.13% | −0.20% | #183 |
| 2013 | 0.33% | −0.09% | #171 |
| 2012 | 0.42% | −0.01% | #178 |
| 2011 | 0.44% | −0.11% | #179 |
Detected Pattern
Analysis
Nepal matched the Stagflation Risk pattern in 2016. Historically, 38% of countries showing this pattern (117 out of 307) saw fdi inflows improve within 24 months. View full analysis →
Frequently Asked Questions
Nepal's fdi inflows was 0.02% in 2025. Ranked 168th globally. This represents a 81.4% decrease from the previous year.
Nepal's fdi inflows peaked at 0.68% in 2017.
The lowest fdi inflows in Nepal was -0.10% in 2002.
Nepal ranks 168th globally in fdi inflows as of 2025.
The World Bank indicator code is BX.KLT.DINV.WD.GD.ZS. Data sourced from World Bank.
Nepal's fdi inflows is projected to reach 0.02% by 2025 based on trend extrapolation.
The fdi inflows of Nepal in 2025 was 0.02%. This ranks 168th in the world.
Cite this page
@misc{historysaid_nepal_fdi-inflows,
title = {Nepal FDI Inflows},
url = {https://historysaid.com/nepal/fdi-inflows/},
publisher = {HistorySaid},
year = {2026}
}