KARACHI: The foreign direct investment (FDI) has declined by 51.4 percent to $1.27 billion during first nine months of current fiscal year as compared with $2.6 billion in the corresponding period of the last fiscal year, according to statistics issued by State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) on Thursday.

The inflows of FDI fell by 20.9 percent to $2.51 billion during the period under review as compared with of $3.18 billion in the same period of the last fiscal year. While the outflows sharply increased by 121.8 percent to $1.24 billion as compared with $560 million.

The portfolio investment in the stock market witnessed massive outflow during the first nine months of current fiscal year. The stock market witnessed outflow of $409 million during July – March 2018/2019 as compared with the outflow of $118.6 million in the corresponding period of the last fiscal year, showing sharp decline of 245 percent.

The foreign private investment with both the component of FED and portfolio investment declined by 65.5 percent to $864 million during first nine months of current fiscal year as compared with $2.5 billion in the same period of the last fiscal year.

The total foreign private investment after inclusion of foreign public investment witnessed decline of 82.4 percent to $873 million during July – March 2018/2019 as compared with $4.95 billion in the corresponding period of the last fiscal year.