Mexico attracted $45.3 billion USD in Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in 2024, a 47.9% increase over the previous year and the country’s highest annual total since 2013, according to the 2025 Foreign Direct Investment in Latin America and the Caribbean report by the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC).
This performance placed Mexico as the second-largest recipient of foreign capital in the region, behind only Brazil, which posted $71.1 billion USD in FDI—an increase of 13.8% compared to 2023.
Regionally, Latin America and the Caribbean reached a total of $188.96 billion USD in FDI, a 7.1% increase year-over-year. Mexico and Brazil were the primary drivers of this growth, together accounting for 62% of total investment flows—24% attributed to Mexico and 38% to Brazil.
In contrast, Colombia, Chile, and Argentina ranked third, fourth, and fifth, respectively, though all three reported lower FDI inflows than in 2023.
The manufacturing industry was the leading recipient of foreign investment in Mexico, accounting for 53% of the total in 2024. The sector experienced a 10% increase compared to the previous year.
Among the most dynamic subsectors were transport equipment, which grew by 35%, and beverages and tobacco, in which FDI rose by 56%. Conversely, the basic metals and machinery subsectors recorded significant year-over-year declines.
The services sector was the second-largest recipient, accounting for 42% of total FDI, with a 9% increase compared to 2023.
The United States remained the top source of FDI in Mexico in 2024, with a 23% increase over the previous year. Japan and Germany followed as the second and third most prominent investor countries.
According to ECLAC, increasing geopolitical tensions have begun to influence investment decisions across the region. However, the UN organization noted that it is “too early to fully assess the impact of changes in U.S. trade policy.”
Amid a challenging global environment, Mexico’s consistent momentum in key sectors such as manufacturing places it in a strong position within the regional economic landscape, offering significant opportunities to reinforce its role as a leading investment destination.
Related: Five Years On, USMCA Reshapes Trade: US Shifts Closer to North American Partners
Mexican Press Agency is part of ALMA, which is dedicated to news and information about Mexico and Mexicans in the United States and is a fiscally sponsored project of Social Focus, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in Redwood City, California.
