TY  - GEN
AU  - Brichetti, Juan Pablo
AU  - Cavallo, Eduardo A.
AU  - Pitetti, Diego Andres
AU  - Leon Gomez, Carlos Raul
TI  - Eppur si Muove: The Evolution of Infrastructure Gaps in LAC 2021-2026
PY  - 2026
Y1  - 2026/08/10
DO  - 10.18235/0014449
AB  - This document updates the estimates of Brichetti et al. (2021) regarding the investment needs that Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) must mobilize to achieve the infrastructure targets associated with its development objectives by 2030, using the most recent data available. The results estimate these needs at US$1,595,965 million for the 2025-2030 period, equivalent to an annual investment effort of 3.53% of regional GDP, compared with 3.12% estimated in 2021.
Although investment needs have declined in absolute terms relative to the 2021 estimates across all sectors analyzed, the required investment effort as a share of GDP remains substantial throughout the region. The largest needs are concentrated in transport (40% of total investment needs), water and sanitation (25%), electricity (24%), and telecommunications (11%).
By contrast, actual investment averaged only 1.7% of GDP between 2015 and 2023, following a downward trend driven primarily by the decline in public investment. Despite this, coverage and quality indicators have shown improvements, although insufficient, that exceed what would be expected given those investment levels. This divergence can be attributed to a combination of exogenous factors and limitations in the measurement of investment, with significant implications for public policy.
UR  - https://doi.org/10.18235/0014449
ER  -