Panama attracts investment

Foreign direct investment in Panama grew by 61% last year, according to data published last month by the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean.

Direct investment in Panama in 2013 was $4.6 billion, the highest in Central America, mainly due to the expansion of the Panama Canal, and the construction of a metro in the capital.

Panama was fourth in Latin America and the Caribbean, while Costa Rica was second in Central America.

Granada was the first in the list of 33 countries, followed by Mexico, which had growth in foreign direct investment of 117%.

Investment increased only marginally in Brazilian, which remained the leader in absolute numbers, with investment of $64 billion, a third of the total for Latin America and the Caribbean (numbers indicate the position of each Central America country, in a ranking of growth of foreign direct investment among 33 Latin American and Caribbean countries).

1. Panama (4)
2. Costa Rica (7)
3. Guatemala (11)
4. Honduras (12)
5. Nicaragua (13)
6. El Salvador (19)