Foreign direct investment in Ecuador grew 85%, reaching $431.5 million in Q1 2026

Ecuador experienced a significant surge in foreign direct investment (FDI) during the first quarter of 2026, reaching $431.5 million. This represents an 85% increase compared to the same period in 2025 and marks the highest FDI flow for a first quarter in recent years, according to the Central Bank of Ecuador.

The substantial growth, which is $199.1 million more than the previous year, also surpasses the first quarter of 2024 by 286.1%. This trend indicates a robust increase in capital inflow from abroad. The Central Bank attributed this expansion primarily to the "shares and other capital participations" component, which totaled $138.8 million. This included statutory accounting operations like the capitalization of reserves and credit compensation, boosting the capital of several established direct investment companies in Ecuador.

Reinvested profits also played a crucial role, amounting to $246.7 million. The Central Bank noted significant operations within this component that substantially contributed to the overall FDI growth. An additional factor was the "other capital" category, reflecting financial relationships between foreign parent companies and their Ecuadorian branches, which registered $46 million. During the last quarter, disbursement flows exceeded amortization.

Singapore led the list of primary source countries for FDI, contributing $105.1 million, followed closely by Peru with $101.6 million. Other notable investors included Panama ($45.3 million), Switzerland ($28.4 million), the Netherlands ($23 million), the Bahamas ($22.9 million), Costa Rica ($22.1 million), and the United States ($20.5 million). The largest share of invested resources went into the trade sector ($149.4 million), followed by agriculture, forestry, hunting, and fishing ($101.8 million), and the manufacturing industry ($90.7 million).