Foreign direct investment, net inflows in Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income)
Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income): Foreign direct investment, net inflows was 158.56 billion BoP, current US$ in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Foreign direct investment, net inflows in Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income), 1970–2025
Source: Balance of Payments database, International Monetary Fund (IMF), note: International Monetary Fund, Balance of Payments database, supplemented by data from the United Nations Conference on Trade and D. Measured in BoP, current US$.
Analysis
Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income) recorded 158.56 billion BoP, current US$ for foreign direct investment, net inflows in 2025.
The figure is down 4.5% on the previous year and up 9.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, foreign direct investment, net inflows in Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income) peaked at 173.64 billion BoP, current US$ in 2013 and was at its lowest, 696.83 million BoP, current US$, in 1972.
That places Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income) 17th out of 47 groups with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Foreign direct investment, net inflows in Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income), year by year
| Year | BoP, current US$ | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 1.21 billion BoP, current US$ | — |
| 1971 | 1.60 billion BoP, current US$ | +32.5% |
| 1972 | 696.83 million BoP, current US$ | -56.5% |
| 1973 | 2.03 billion BoP, current US$ | +191.2% |
| 1974 | 1.73 billion BoP, current US$ | -14.6% |
| 1975 | 2.77 billion BoP, current US$ | +60.1% |
| 1976 | 1.85 billion BoP, current US$ | -33.4% |
| 1977 | 2.67 billion BoP, current US$ | +44.5% |
| 1978 | 3.43 billion BoP, current US$ | +28.3% |
| 1979 | 4.53 billion BoP, current US$ | +32.3% |
| 1980 | 5.39 billion BoP, current US$ | +18.8% |
| 1981 | 7.47 billion BoP, current US$ | +38.8% |
| 1982 | 5.93 billion BoP, current US$ | -20.7% |
| 1983 | 5.02 billion BoP, current US$ | -15.3% |
| 1984 | 4.09 billion BoP, current US$ | -18.6% |
| 1985 | 5.69 billion BoP, current US$ | +39.3% |
| 1986 | 4.27 billion BoP, current US$ | -25.0% |
| 1987 | 4.60 billion BoP, current US$ | +7.8% |
| 1988 | 7.70 billion BoP, current US$ | +67.1% |
| 1989 | 6.43 billion BoP, current US$ | -16.4% |
| 1990 | 7.07 billion BoP, current US$ | +9.9% |
| 1991 | 11.58 billion BoP, current US$ | +63.8% |
| 1992 | 13.10 billion BoP, current US$ | +13.1% |
| 1993 | 11.79 billion BoP, current US$ | -10.0% |
| 1994 | 24.60 billion BoP, current US$ | +108.6% |
| 1995 | 26.37 billion BoP, current US$ | +7.2% |
| 1996 | 39.26 billion BoP, current US$ | +48.9% |
| 1997 | 58.35 billion BoP, current US$ | +48.6% |
| 1998 | 64.58 billion BoP, current US$ | +10.7% |
| 1999 | 78.20 billion BoP, current US$ | +21.1% |
| 2000 | 72.15 billion BoP, current US$ | -7.7% |
| 2001 | 65.92 billion BoP, current US$ | -8.6% |
| 2002 | 46.99 billion BoP, current US$ | -28.7% |
| 2003 | 37.88 billion BoP, current US$ | -19.4% |
| 2004 | 58.09 billion BoP, current US$ | +53.3% |
| 2005 | 65.50 billion BoP, current US$ | +12.8% |
| 2006 | 63.14 billion BoP, current US$ | -3.6% |
| 2007 | 108.76 billion BoP, current US$ | +72.3% |
| 2008 | 119.89 billion BoP, current US$ | +10.2% |
| 2009 | 73.86 billion BoP, current US$ | -38.4% |
| 2010 | 146.76 billion BoP, current US$ | +98.7% |
| 2011 | 173.54 billion BoP, current US$ | +18.2% |
| 2012 | 171.22 billion BoP, current US$ | -1.3% |
| 2013 | 173.64 billion BoP, current US$ | +1.4% |
| 2014 | 153.36 billion BoP, current US$ | -11.7% |
| 2015 | 145.34 billion BoP, current US$ | -5.2% |
| 2016 | 148.51 billion BoP, current US$ | +2.2% |
| 2017 | 145.68 billion BoP, current US$ | -1.9% |
| 2018 | 155.73 billion BoP, current US$ | +6.9% |
| 2019 | 134.23 billion BoP, current US$ | -13.8% |
| 2020 | 90.41 billion BoP, current US$ | -32.6% |
| 2021 | 119.25 billion BoP, current US$ | +31.9% |
| 2022 | 171.21 billion BoP, current US$ | +43.6% |
| 2023 | 151.67 billion BoP, current US$ | -11.4% |
| 2024 | 166.01 billion BoP, current US$ | +9.5% |
| 2025 | 158.56 billion BoP, current US$ | -4.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 2.25 billion BoP, current US$ | 696.83 million BoP, current US$ | 4.53 billion BoP, current US$ | 10 |
| 1980s | 5.66 billion BoP, current US$ | 4.09 billion BoP, current US$ | 7.70 billion BoP, current US$ | 10 |
| 1990s | 33.49 billion BoP, current US$ | 7.07 billion BoP, current US$ | 78.20 billion BoP, current US$ | 10 |
| 2000s | 71.22 billion BoP, current US$ | 37.88 billion BoP, current US$ | 119.89 billion BoP, current US$ | 10 |
| 2010s | 154.80 billion BoP, current US$ | 134.23 billion BoP, current US$ | 173.64 billion BoP, current US$ | 10 |
| 2020s | 142.85 billion BoP, current US$ | 90.41 billion BoP, current US$ | 171.21 billion BoP, current US$ | 6 |
Countries ranked near Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income)
- 14 Malta 42.59 billion BoP, current US$ compare
- 15 India 39.10 billion BoP, current US$ compare
- 16 Australia 36.52 billion BoP, current US$ compare
- 17 Saudi Arabia 32.63 billion BoP, current US$ compare
- 18 Spain 28.09 billion BoP, current US$ compare
- 19 Israel 26.22 billion BoP, current US$ compare
- 20 Russian Federation 22.93 billion BoP, current US$ compare
More economy & growth data for Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income)
- Households and NPISHs Final consumption expenditure (current US$) 7,260 current US$ per person (2025)
- General government final consumption expenditure (constant 2015 US$) 2.11 % change on previous year (2025)
- General government final consumption expenditure (constant 2015 US$) 0.138 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- General government final consumption expenditure (constant 2015 US$) 1,436 constant 2015 US$ per person (2025)
- Households and NPISHs Final consumption expenditure (current US$) 4.18 % change on previous year (2025)
- Households and NPISHs Final consumption expenditure (current US$) 0.6975 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Households and NPISHs Final consumption expenditure (constant 2015) 0.5838 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Final consumption expenditure (current US$), annual growth rate 4.06 % change on previous year (2025)
- Households and NPISHs Final consumption expenditure (constant 2015) 6,076 constant 2015 US$ per person (2025)
- General government final consumption expenditure (current US$), per 1,706 current US$ per person (2025)
All data for Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income) →
Frequently asked questions
- What is foreign direct investment, net inflows in Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income)?
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows in Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income) was 158.56 billion BoP, current US$ in 2025, according to Balance of Payments database, International Monetary Fund (IMF), note: International Monetary Fund, Balance of Payments database, supplemented by data from the United Nations Conference on Trade and D.
- What is the highest foreign direct investment, net inflows recorded in Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income)?
- The highest recorded value was 173.64 billion BoP, current US$ in 2013.
- What is the lowest foreign direct investment, net inflows recorded in Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income)?
- The lowest recorded value was 696.83 million BoP, current US$ in 1972.
- How does Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income) rank for foreign direct investment, net inflows?
- Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income) ranks 17th out of 47 groups with data for 2025.
- Is foreign direct investment, net inflows rising or falling in Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income)?
- Over the last ten years it is up 9.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income) data come from?
- The figures come from Balance of Payments database, International Monetary Fund (IMF), note: International Monetary Fund, Balance of Payments database, supplemented by data from the United Nations Conference on Trade and D, published as part of Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 56 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Foreign direct investment refers to direct investment equity flows in the reporting economy. It is the sum of equity capital, reinvestment of earnings, and other capital. Direct investment is a category of cross-border investment associated with a resident in one economy having control or a significant degree of influence on the management of an enterprise that is resident in another economy. Ownership of 10 percent or more of the ordinary shares of voting stock is the criterion for determining the existence of a direct investment relationship. Data are in current U.S. dollars.