Figures released by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) show that foreign direct investment (FDI) in Lebanon totaled $2.63bn in 2017, constituting a marginal increase of 0.7% from $2.61bn in 2016 and representing the third annual rise since 2010. FDI inflows in 2017 were 10.2% below the annual average flows of $2.93bn during the 2010-16 period and came 40% lower than the peak of $4.38bn posted in 2009. Also, Lebanon was the fourth largest recipient of FDI among 18 Arab countries and the third largest recipient among 12 countries in West Asia in 2017. It was also the 60th largest FDI recipient globally among 136 economies with a nominal GDP of $10bn or more, and when excluding tax haven islands.

The UNCTAD figures for Lebanon are based on the official figures issued by Banque du Liban. According to BdL’s methodology, the sources of FDI figures in Lebanon consist of public sector data, various indicators that estimate non-resident real estate investments, banking sector statistics, as well as statistics from administrative records on the acquisition of real estate by foreigners. 

FDI inflows to Lebanon accounted for 9.3% of total FDI in Arab countries in 2017, up from a share of 8.1% in 2016. They also represented 10.3% of total flows to West Asia, 0.4% of FDI inflows to developing economies and 0.2% of global FDI in 2017. Further, FDI inflows to Lebanon were equivalent to 5.1% of GDP in 2017, down from 5.3% of GDP in 2016 and compared to a peak of 15.5% of GDP in 2005. They were the third highest in the Arab world in 2017, behind Djibouti (8.1% of GDP) and Mauritania (6.4% of GDP). Also, FDI inflows to Lebanon as a percentage of GDP were the 28th highest in 2017 among countries with a nominal GDP of $10bn or more and when excluding tax haven islands. 

In parallel, FDI outflows from Lebanon totaled $567.3m in 2017, constituting a decrease of 11.6% from $642m in 2016, and compared to the annual average of $998.4m during the 2010-16 period and to a peak of $2bn registered in 2013. Lebanon was the sixth largest source of FDI outflows among 16 Arab countries with available figures and among West Asian countries in 2017. Further, net FDI flows to Lebanon reached $2.1bn in 2017, the second highest level in the Arab world, up by 4.7% from net FDI flows of $2bn in 2016 and relative to a peak of $3.25bn in 2009.