Spain emerges as leading global hub for investment in Latin America

A report by the Alianza por Iberoamérica Business Council (Ceapi) and the Complutense University of Madrid identifies Spain as the world's primary platform for foreign companies investing in Latin America. Acting as a strategic “bridge” or “trampoline,” Spain allows international groups to establish subsidiaries that subsequently invest in the Latin American region.

The study analyzed over 54 million data points, revealing that 744 foreign parent companies use Spain as a base, controlling 1,081 subsidiaries in the region. Spain leads in 11 of the 19 Latin American countries studied. While the United States is the largest single source of investors with 125 groups, European companies represent nearly 60% of those using the Spanish platform. Other significant investor origins include France and Luxembourg.

Key investment destinations within Latin America include Mexico (25.2%), Brazil (19.2%), Colombia (18.8%), and Chile (17.3%). The finance sector is the most active, accounting for 26.5% of the groups, followed by industry at 15.6%.