Panama leads in foreign investment

Panama attracted $2.3 billion in foreign investment in 2014, highest in the region (only in Spanish), according to the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean.

Much of the investment goes into free zones, which have attracted more than a hundred multinational companies.

For the first time in a decade, Guatemala with $2.3 billion passed Costa Rica to take second place.

El Salvador came last in Central America, with total investment of $90 million.

The data refer to direct investment, after deducting investment by residents of each economy abroad, including reinvestment of profits (figures in parentheses represent the number of FDI obtained in millions of dollars).

1. Panama (2,325)
2. Guatemala (2,294)
3. Costa Rica (1,881)
4. Honduras (1,049)
5. Nicaragua (775)
6. El Salvador (90)