The Institute of International Finance projected non-resident capital inflows to Lebanon at $8.5bn in 2018, which would constitute an increase of 2.4% from $8.3bn in 2017, compared to a peak of $15.6bn in 2009. Non-resident capital inflows to Lebanon would be the seventh highest among 14 countries in the Middle East & North Africa (MENA) region.

The IIF indicated that Lebanon's projected non-resident capital inflows for 2018 include $3.2bn in portfolio investment, $2.9bn in other investment inflows, mainly banking-related flows, and $2.4bn in foreign direct investment (FDI). It anticipated other flows to grow by 15% (+$377.1m) from an estimated $2.5bn in 2017; for portfolio inflows to decrease by 2.5% (-$80.1m) from $3.23bn last year; and for FDI inflows to drop by 4% (-$101.5m) from $2.5bn in 2017. Non-resident capital inflows to Lebanon would account for 4.7% of total non-resident capital flows to MENA economies in 2018 and for 15.8% of total non-resident capital flows to the MENA region's oil importers. They would be equivalent to 14.8% of Lebanon's GDP in 2018 compared to 15.4% of GDP in 2017, and would represent the second highest level among the 14 MENA countries, behind Oman (19.4% of GDP).

In comparison, non-resident capital inflows to Lebanon reached $8.3bn in 2017, and decreased by 29.8% from $11.8bn in 2016. They were the sixth highest among 14 countries in the MENA region in 2017. The decline in non-resident capital inflows to Lebanon last year reflected mainly a drop of $2.9bn, or 47.4%, in the inflows of portfolio investment, a decline of $537.2m, or 17.6%, in other investment flows, and a decrease of $68.3m, or 2.6%, in foreign direct investments.