Chilean Direct Investment, 2006-2009

This paper presents the methodology to estimate foreign direct investment (FDI) statistics by type of economic activity and country. The Central Bank of Chile compiles and prepares FDI statistics under the Balance of Payments and International Investment Position´s Framework (International Monetary Fund guidelines). Knowing where investment comes from and where Chilean investment is going to provides us with bilateral information useful to those responsible for economic policy, academics, investors and the general public. Similarly, studying investment sectors allows us to show which productive sectors attract capital investment. Given the importance of foreign direct investment in Chile and Chilean direct investment abroad, this study’s main objective is to explain the methodology used to estimate the series of flows and stocks of direct investment, broken down according to their origin or immediate geographic destination and the economic sector receiving the investment, and to present the results for the 2006-2009 period. The main results show that the main foreign investor in Chile is United States. Also, a large part of Chilean direct investment abroad goes to countries in South America.