Evidence

The World Bank Private Participation in Infrastructure Database reports USD 100.7 billion of private infrastructure investment in low- and middle-income countries in 2024, up 16 percent from 2023. The database covers more than 10,000 projects in 137 countries.

Infrastructure Monitor 2024 also shows that private infrastructure investment is unevenly distributed. In 2023, low- and middle-income countries accounted for only 22 percent of global private primary-market infrastructure investment. Between 2010 and 2020, more than 60 percent of private infrastructure investment in middle-income countries was concentrated in five markets; low-income countries accounted for barely one percent.

Our view

Our view: Private investors do not replace the public sector. Public planning, regulation and democratic oversight remain essential in infrastructure. Private capital can help when projects are clearly structured, revenue profiles are understandable and risks are shared fairly.

From our perspective, the contribution of private investors is not only financing. In renewable energy, they can professionalize project development and operations. In digital infrastructure, they can accelerate data centers, fiber networks and edge systems. In water and food systems, they can help scale technical solutions.

For L.P.E.I., infrastructure is therefore not a single sector. It is a system. Energy supplies data. Data controls water. Water enables agriculture. Investing in infrastructure means investing in connections that make stability and growth possible.

Evidence / sources: The investment figures, project data and regional distribution data are based on the World Bank PPI Database and Infrastructure Monitor 2024. The sections under "Our view" are L.P.E.I.'s interpretation of these facts.