Countries · Australasia
Australia
Australia's superannuation funds are among the largest investors in the world, and its mining sector draws large foreign investment.
At a glance
Net inflows of foreign direct investment were $37.4bn in 2025, against an average of $44.5bn a year in 2015–2024. Investors based in Australia withdrew a net $6.75bn of direct investment from abroad in the same year. Foreign investors were net buyers of $18.9bn of shares in Australia in 2025. Investors in Australia held $79.9bn of US Treasury securities at the end of August 2026, +$12.5bn on a year earlier, and $877.7bn of US shares.
Compulsory retirement savings have built up a large pool of money invested abroad, much of it in US shares. Australia's current account has moved between surplus and deficit with commodity prices.
Australia's holdings of US securities
Treasuries, shares and bonds issued in the US and held by investors in Australia.
Holdings of US securities
End of month, Aug 2025 to Aug 2026, $bn.
Net purchases of long-term US securities
Each month, $bn. Positive means net buying.
The US Treasury records holdings by the country where securities are held in custody, which is not always the owner's country. Why this matters.
Direct and equity investment
Annual net flows, $bn. Direct investment means building or buying businesses; portfolio equity means buying listed shares and fund units.
Net flows by year
Direct investment into and out of Australia, and foreign buying of its shares, $bn.
Current account and reserves
The balance of trade and income with the rest of the world, and the reserves held by the central bank.
Current account balance
Each year, $bn. A surplus means the country lends to the rest of the world.
Foreign exchange reserves, including gold
End of year, $bn.
Remittances
Money sent home by people working abroad, compared with direct investment, $bn.
Remittances and direct investment
Each year, $bn.
The economy
GDP
Current US dollars, $bn. Dollar figures also move with exchange rates.
Growth and inflation
Real GDP growth and consumer price inflation, per cent.
The Australian dollar in global reserves
Share of central banks' allocated reserves held in Australian dollars, per cent.
Australian dollar share of global reserves
Per cent, quarterly.
All figures
Annual figures from the World Bank, as published. Download them for every country on the data page.
| Indicator | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (m) | 23.82 | 24.19 | 24.59 | 24.96 | 25.33 | 25.65 | 25.69 | 26.02 | 26.66 | 27.19 | 27.61 |
| GDP ($bn) | 1,356.8 | 1,211.6 | 1,330.9 | 1,433.1 | 1,398.3 | 1,333.3 | 1,560.6 | 1,695.6 | 1,734.5 | 1,757.0 | 1,798.5 |
| GDP per person ($) | 56,970 | 50,084 | 54,118 | 57,410 | 55,195 | 51,983 | 60,759 | 65,170 | 65,058 | 64,610 | 65,130 |
| Real GDP growth (%) | 2.2 | 2.8 | 2.3 | 2.9 | 2.2 | −0.1 | 2.0 | 4.3 | 3.6 | 1.4 | 1.4 |
| Inflation (%) | 1.5 | 1.3 | 1.9 | 1.9 | 1.6 | 0.8 | 2.9 | 6.6 | 5.6 | 3.2 | 2.9 |
| Current account ($bn) | −58.28 | −43.64 | −40.00 | −37.11 | −1.06 | 21.90 | 38.19 | 4.31 | −7.51 | −40.67 | −49.74 |
| Current account (% GDP) | −4.3 | −3.6 | −3.0 | −2.6 | −0.1 | 1.6 | 2.4 | 0.3 | −0.4 | −2.3 | −2.8 |
| Reserves incl. gold ($bn) | 45.4 | 52.5 | 65.7 | 53.9 | 58.0 | 42.5 | 57.9 | 56.7 | 61.7 | 60.4 | 72.6 |
| Direct investment in ($bn) | 46.89 | 42.97 | 48.20 | 60.69 | 38.75 | 17.98 | 31.45 | 68.71 | 35.32 | 54.00 | 37.44 |
| Direct investment out ($bn) | 8.26 | −3.11 | 10.00 | 1.03 | 8.90 | 7.40 | 9.25 | 127.35 | 13.31 | 13.92 | −6.75 |
| Portfolio equity in ($bn) | 13.77 | 18.29 | 15.65 | −7.26 | 17.69 | 22.74 | 32.01 | 47.12 | −18.79 | −1.51 | 18.94 |
| Remittances ($bn) | 2.17 | 2.06 | 1.96 | 1.78 | 1.68 | 1.11 | 0.84 | 1.21 | 1.61 | 1.77 | 2.01 |
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