The foreign direct investment (FDI) in Chile sharply grew 32 percent to more than 30 billion U.S. dollars in 2012, ranked in the world's top 10 in foreign capital inflows for the first time, according to a report released Wednesday.

The ranking, presented by Santiago's Chamber of Commerce (CCS), was compiled by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) in its World Investment Report.

The score "has special meaning" for Chile, "and despite its small size in this ranking, it displaced economies such as Spain, France and even India," said the report.

The inflows of investment toward South America reached 144 billion dollars in 2012, including 16 billion to Colombia, 13 billion to Argentina, 12 billion to Peru. The three countries all registered double-digit FDI growth.

However, Brazil, the region's main economy, experienced a slowdown in FDI in 2012, which dropped 2 percent, after two years of high growth.

South America's rich oil, gas and mineral reserves, as well as a rapidly growing middle class have made it a continued attractive destination for FDI.

According to the report, the whole world's FDI inflows in 2013 will stay at a level close to that in 2012, with a maximum amount of 1.45 trillion dollars, if macroeconomic conditions improve and investors' confidence recovers in the middle term.

Among risk factors are the structural weakness of the world financial system, the possible deterioration of the macroeconomic situation and the great uncertainty related to the policies in crucial areas for investor trust, which might cause a new decrease in the FDI flows, said the report. Endi

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