Latin America is preparing for a new wave of infrastructure and energy activity, fueled by new public-private partnerships and rising political and economic stability. Those conditions have produced a timely inflow of foreign investment, with a reported 226 infrastructure-related transactions worth $61.8 billion in 2017.

Latin America’s infrastructure needs are extensive, requiring about 6.2 percent of the region’s gross domestic product annually between 2012–2020, equaling about $320 billion, according to the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean. Current infrastructure investment in the region sits at 2.8 percent of GDP, according to a 2017 World Bank report. That figure ranks as the second lowest for any region in the world, surpassing only sub-Saharan Africa.

Latin American economies are projected to grow at an average of 2 percent in 2018 and increase to 2.8 percent per annum from 2018 to 2022. This implies GDP growth per capita of $1,600 d