Figure 3.15: Origins of foreign direct investment in Latin America and the Caribbean, 2006–2011. In 2011, just a few years after the global financial crisis of 2008, FDI flows into the region reached their highest total ever, at U.S.$153.448 billion. The Netherlands was the leading investor in 2011, in large part because it is a conduit for investments from third-party countries. The United States was the second-leading investor, with 18 percent of the total; Spain was third; and Latin American countries were fourth in investing in other countries within the region. Brazil was the largest recipient of FDI in 2011, getting nearly half of the total, followed by Mexico and Chile.

[Sources consulted: “Foreign Direct Investment in Latin America and the Caribbean, 2011,” Figure 1.8, p. 38, Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean, United Nations, April 16, 2012, at http://www.cepal.org/publicaciones/xml/2/46572/2012-182-LIEI-WEB.pdf]