Foreign direct investment, net inflows in Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries)
Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries): Foreign direct investment, net inflows was 2.7% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Foreign direct investment, net inflows in Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries), 1970–2025
Source: International Financial Statistics and Balance of Payments databases, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries) recorded 2.7% for foreign direct investment, net inflows in 2025.
That represents a change of down 5.3% on the previous year and down 22.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, foreign direct investment, net inflows in Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries) peaked at 4.5% in 1999 and was at its lowest, 0.4%, in 1972.
Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries) ranks 7th of 47 groups on this measure, in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Foreign direct investment, net inflows in Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries), year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 0.8% | — |
| 1971 | 1.0% | +14.4% |
| 1972 | 0.4% | -57.1% |
| 1973 | 0.8% | +92.6% |
| 1974 | 0.5% | -32.1% |
| 1975 | 0.8% | +51.5% |
| 1976 | 0.5% | -38.0% |
| 1977 | 0.6% | +27.8% |
| 1978 | 0.7% | +12.0% |
| 1979 | 0.9% | +18.8% |
| 1980 | 0.9% | +1.1% |
| 1981 | 1.0% | +16.6% |
| 1982 | 0.9% | -11.2% |
| 1983 | 0.8% | -10.5% |
| 1984 | 0.6% | -23.0% |
| 1985 | 0.8% | +37.7% |
| 1986 | 0.7% | -20.2% |
| 1987 | 0.7% | +1.8% |
| 1988 | 1.0% | +47.0% |
| 1989 | 0.9% | -13.7% |
| 1990 | 0.8% | -8.1% |
| 1991 | 1.2% | +44.0% |
| 1992 | 1.2% | +3.7% |
| 1993 | 0.9% | -21.4% |
| 1994 | 1.7% | +78.2% |
| 1995 | 1.6% | -2.0% |
| 1996 | 2.3% | +37.7% |
| 1997 | 3.0% | +32.6% |
| 1998 | 3.2% | +7.3% |
| 1999 | 4.5% | +38.6% |
| 2000 | 3.6% | -19.5% |
| 2001 | 3.4% | -6.5% |
| 2002 | 2.7% | -19.8% |
| 2003 | 2.3% | -15.5% |
| 2004 | 3.0% | +29.8% |
| 2005 | 2.8% | -6.2% |
| 2006 | 2.3% | -15.7% |
| 2007 | 3.3% | +41.6% |
| 2008 | 3.3% | +0.9% |
| 2009 | 2.2% | -34.0% |
| 2010 | 3.3% | +47.2% |
| 2011 | 3.5% | +8.9% |
| 2012 | 3.6% | +0.9% |
| 2013 | 3.3% | -6.5% |
| 2014 | 3.2% | -3.9% |
| 2015 | 3.5% | +7.5% |
| 2016 | 3.4% | -1.2% |
| 2017 | 2.9% | -14.2% |
| 2018 | 3.2% | +10.9% |
| 2019 | 3.1% | -5.9% |
| 2020 | 2.4% | -21.0% |
| 2021 | 2.9% | +18.8% |
| 2022 | 3.5% | +22.1% |
| 2023 | 2.6% | -25.7% |
| 2024 | 2.8% | +8.8% |
| 2025 | 2.7% | -5.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 0.7% | 0.4% | 1.0% | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.8% | 0.6% | 1.0% | 10 |
| 1990s | 2.0% | 0.8% | 4.5% | 10 |
| 2000s | 2.9% | 2.2% | 3.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 3.3% | 2.9% | 3.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.8% | 2.4% | 3.5% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries)
More economy & growth data for Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries)
- Households and NPISHs Final consumption expenditure (current US$) 4.26 % change on previous year (2025)
- General government final consumption expenditure (current US$), per 1,700 current US$ per person (2025)
- General government final consumption expenditure (constant 2015 US$) 2.17 % change on previous year (2025)
- General government final consumption expenditure (constant 2015 US$) 0.136 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- General government final consumption expenditure (constant 2015 US$) 1,472 constant 2015 US$ per person (2025)
- Households and NPISHs Final consumption expenditure (current US$) 7,460 current US$ per person (2025)
- Households and NPISHs Final consumption expenditure (constant 2015) 0.5831 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Households and NPISHs Final consumption expenditure (constant 2015) 2.48 % change on previous year (2025)
- General government final consumption expenditure (current US$), per 0.157 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Households and NPISHs Final consumption expenditure (current US$) 0.6893 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
All data for Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries) →
Frequently asked questions
- What is foreign direct investment, net inflows in Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries)?
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows in Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries) was 2.7% in 2025, according to International Financial Statistics and Balance of Payments databases, International Monetary Fund (IMF).
- What is the highest foreign direct investment, net inflows recorded in Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries)?
- The highest recorded value was 4.5% in 1999.
- What is the lowest foreign direct investment, net inflows recorded in Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries)?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.4% in 1972.
- How does Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries) rank for foreign direct investment, net inflows?
- Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries) ranks 7th out of 47 groups with data for 2025.
- Is foreign direct investment, net inflows rising or falling in Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries)?
- Over the last ten years it is down 22.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries) data come from?
- The figures come from International Financial Statistics and Balance of Payments databases, International Monetary Fund (IMF), published as part of Foreign direct investment, net inflows (% of GDP). 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 is the net inflows of investment to acquire a lasting management interest (10 percent or more of voting stock) in an enterprise operating in an economy other than that of the investor. It is the sum of equity capital, reinvestment of earnings, other long-term capital, and short-term capital as shown in the balance of payments. This series shows net inflows (new investment inflows less disinvestment) in the reporting economy from foreign investors, and is divided by GDP.