Brazil appears among the 25 most reliable countries for foreign investment in 2024; see ranking

O Brazil this year returned to the global ranking of the 25 most reliable countries to receive foreign investmentafter being left off the list in 2023. The country now occupies 19th position in the Confidence Index for Foreign Direct Investment, prepared annually by the consultancy Kearney.

The last time it appeared in the ranking, in 2022, Brazil was in 22nd. The country was already in better positions in 2012 and 2013, when it occupied third place on the list. Leading the 2024 ranking is the USA, for the 12th consecutive year (see the ranking below).

The list is defined based on responses from executives at the 500 largest companies in the world. Among other things, they are asked about the likelihood of their companies making direct investments in a country in the next three years. The answers are tabulated and generate a score.

If considering the ranking of emerging markets only, Brazil will be in 5th position in 2024, behind India, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and China.

According to the survey, 88% of executives said they plan to increase their investments in the next three years, six percentage points above 2023. The report shows a slight increase in the level of optimism from 63% to 64%, and a drop in pessimism, going from 35% in 2023 to 29% this year.

The majority of businesspeople (85%) reported that geopolitical tensions could alter their investment decisions. They even include emerging markets on the list.

More than seven in ten (72%) investors said they already make moderate use of artificial intelligence (AI) in its commercial operations, especially in chatbots and manual process and supply chain automation systems. Of the 500 respondents, 63% said they will increase AI capabilities in their investment decision-making. They cited cost savings, efficiency and accuracy as key benefits.

According to Kearney, the disruptive potential of AI will transform the global economy and will require rapid changes from companies. The consultancy’s survey highlights that the companies surveyed are already preparing, and 64% of investors say that their organizations will expand the use of AI in business over the next three years. For 82%, the degree of investment will depend on policies and regulations on the use of technology.

See below the ranking of the 25 most reliable countries for foreign investment, according to Kearney.