Gross capital formation in Latin America & Caribbean
Latin America & Caribbean: Gross capital formation was 19.0% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Gross capital formation in Latin America & Caribbean, 1960–2025
Source: Country official statistics, National Statistical Organizations and/or Central Banks. Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
The most recent figure for gross capital formation in Latin America & Caribbean is 19.0%, measured in 2025.
The figure is down 0.8% on the previous year and down 5.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, gross capital formation in Latin America & Caribbean peaked at 26.8% in 1975 and was at its lowest, 17.5%, in 2020.
Latin America & Caribbean ranks 41st of 43 groups on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 66 years of available data.
Gross capital formation in Latin America & Caribbean, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 21.9% | — |
| 1961 | 23.3% | +6.4% |
| 1962 | 21.4% | -8.4% |
| 1963 | 20.4% | -4.7% |
| 1964 | 21.6% | +6.2% |
| 1965 | 22.2% | +2.8% |
| 1966 | 21.9% | -1.6% |
| 1967 | 21.4% | -2.3% |
| 1968 | 21.7% | +1.6% |
| 1969 | 23.3% | +7.1% |
| 1970 | 23.3% | +0.1% |
| 1971 | 23.2% | -0.7% |
| 1972 | 22.8% | -1.5% |
| 1973 | 22.8% | -0.2% |
| 1974 | 24.8% | +9.1% |
| 1975 | 26.8% | +7.8% |
| 1976 | 25.7% | -4.1% |
| 1977 | 26.0% | +1.3% |
| 1978 | 26.6% | +2.2% |
| 1979 | 25.7% | -3.5% |
| 1980 | 25.3% | -1.4% |
| 1981 | 25.5% | +0.5% |
| 1982 | 23.1% | -9.3% |
| 1983 | 19.2% | -16.9% |
| 1984 | 19.2% | +0.3% |
| 1985 | 20.0% | +4.0% |
| 1986 | 19.6% | -1.9% |
| 1987 | 21.8% | +11.0% |
| 1988 | 23.4% | +7.4% |
| 1989 | 24.1% | +3.0% |
| 1990 | 20.5% | -14.9% |
| 1991 | 19.9% | -2.8% |
| 1992 | 20.2% | +1.3% |
| 1993 | 21.8% | +8.1% |
| 1994 | 23.0% | +5.4% |
| 1995 | 19.4% | -15.5% |
| 1996 | 19.7% | +1.2% |
| 1997 | 20.5% | +4.0% |
| 1998 | 21.1% | +2.9% |
| 1999 | 19.8% | -6.2% |
| 2000 | 20.2% | +2.2% |
| 2001 | 19.1% | -5.3% |
| 2002 | 19.0% | -0.6% |
| 2003 | 19.1% | +0.4% |
| 2004 | 19.8% | +3.7% |
| 2005 | 19.6% | -0.8% |
| 2006 | 20.3% | +3.2% |
| 2007 | 21.3% | +5.2% |
| 2008 | 22.5% | +5.7% |
| 2009 | 19.7% | -12.8% |
| 2010 | 21.5% | +9.3% |
| 2011 | 22.5% | +4.5% |
| 2012 | 22.0% | -2.0% |
| 2013 | 22.1% | +0.6% |
| 2014 | 21.1% | -4.9% |
| 2015 | 20.1% | -4.4% |
| 2016 | 18.9% | -6.3% |
| 2017 | 18.4% | -2.3% |
| 2018 | 18.9% | +2.5% |
| 2019 | 18.6% | -1.6% |
| 2020 | 17.5% | -5.8% |
| 2021 | 20.1% | +15.1% |
| 2022 | 20.0% | -0.6% |
| 2023 | 19.0% | -4.9% |
| 2024 | 19.1% | +0.3% |
| 2025 | 19.0% | -0.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 21.9% | 20.4% | 23.3% | 10 |
| 1970s | 24.8% | 22.8% | 26.8% | 10 |
| 1980s | 22.1% | 19.2% | 25.5% | 10 |
| 1990s | 20.6% | 19.4% | 23.0% | 10 |
| 2000s | 20.1% | 19.0% | 22.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | 20.4% | 18.4% | 22.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 19.1% | 17.5% | 20.1% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Latin America & Caribbean
More economy & growth data for Latin America & Caribbean
- General government final consumption expenditure (constant 2015 US$) 1,502 constant 2015 US$ per person (2025)
- General government final consumption expenditure (current US$), per 1,782 current US$ per person (2025)
- General government final consumption expenditure (constant 2015 US$) 2.15 % change on previous year (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), gaps 60.29 billion BoP, current US$ (2025)
- General government final consumption expenditure (constant 2015 US$) 0.1354 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Households and NPISHs Final consumption expenditure (current US$) 0.6869 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Households and NPISHs Final consumption expenditure (constant 2015) 2.5 % change on previous year (2025)
- Households and NPISHs Final consumption expenditure (current US$) 7,621 current US$ per person (2025)
- General government final consumption expenditure (current US$), per 0.1607 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Households and NPISHs Final consumption expenditure (current US$) 4.28 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is gross capital formation in Latin America & Caribbean?
- Gross capital formation in Latin America & Caribbean was 19.0% in 2025, according to Country official statistics, National Statistical Organizations and/or Central Banks.
- What is the highest gross capital formation recorded in Latin America & Caribbean?
- The highest recorded value was 26.8% in 1975.
- What is the lowest gross capital formation recorded in Latin America & Caribbean?
- The lowest recorded value was 17.5% in 2020.
- How does Latin America & Caribbean rank for gross capital formation?
- Latin America & Caribbean ranks 41st out of 43 groups with data for 2025.
- Is gross capital formation rising or falling in Latin America & Caribbean?
- Over the last ten years it is down 5.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Latin America & Caribbean data come from?
- The figures come from Country official statistics, National Statistical Organizations and/or Central Banks, published as part of Gross capital formation (% of GDP). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Gross capital formation includes acquisitions less disposals of produced assets for purposes of fixed capital formation, inventories or valuables. This indicator is expressed as a percentage of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) which is the total income earned through the production of goods and services in an economic territory during an accounting period.