Latin America Software Outsourcing Statistics: Talent, Exports, and Market Evidence
Last Updated: Sep 21, 202612 min readDaniel Grygoryev
These Latin America software outsourcing statistics bring together evidence on digital-services exports, developer compensation, technology employment and startup activity. Each section identifies the source, observation year and scope of the figures, with GSC's country-level compensation analysis presented alongside existing published research.
The trade measures cover Latin America and the Caribbean and extend beyond software outsourcing. The compensation and workforce tables cover selected countries and city markets.
Last reviewed: September 18, 2026. Suggested citation: GlobalSoftwareCompanies, “Latin America Software Outsourcing Statistics: Talent, Exports, and Market Evidence,” reviewed September 18, 2026. Cite GSC for its compensation analysis.
Key Findings
$87.7 billion in digitally delivered services exports: Latin America and the Caribbean, 2024, compared with $18.5 billion in 2005 (IDB–World Bank–WTO Secretariat).
18% computer-services share: the share of digitally delivered services exports from Latin America and the Caribbean in 2024, compared with 4% in 2005 (IDB–World Bank–WTO Secretariat).
320,000 technology workers in Mexico City: CBRE's 2024 observation covers technology occupations across industries, not only software developers.
255,306 technology workers in São Paulo: CBRE's 2024 observation covers technology occupations across industries, not only software developers.
Montevideo ranked seventh by venture-deal count in 2025: LAVCA's selected-city ranking measures funding activity, not engineering quality.
Digital services export statistics
Published in September 2026 by the IDB, World Bank, and WTO Secretariat, Digital Trade in Latin America and the Caribbean: Connecting Markets, Powering Growth compares the region's digitally delivered exports in 2005 and 2024.
Source: IDB–World Bank–WTO Secretariat, full report, published September 2026.
Computer services includes software implementation, data processing, and database services, while the wider export measure also covers finance and consulting, among other services that can be delivered remotely. Neither measure isolates software-outsourcing revenue. For context on software delivery models, see nearshore software development.
The two panels retain separate units and scales: export value in USD billions and computer-services share of those exports. Both cover Latin America and the Caribbean; neither measures software-outsourcing revenue.
Developer compensation statistics
GSC analyzed responses from people in software-development roles in the Stack Overflow Developer Survey 2025 to produce the rounded medians below, which measure annual total compensation in USD. Respondents chose to take part in the survey. Peru and Uruguay have small samples and need particular caution.
Attribution: GSC analysis of the Stack Overflow Developer Survey 2025; public references are the survey methodology and the work and compensation questions. Annual total compensation includes salary, bonuses, and perks before taxes and deductions. Stack Overflow converted responses to USD using exchange rates from June 25, 2025.
Because respondents differ in seniority, role, and employer type, the country medians cannot establish what the same engineer would earn in each market or what a supplier would charge for that person's work. For country detail, see software developer salaries in Brazil and software engineer salaries in Colombia.
For guidance on a specific role, see software developer salaries in Latin America.
Technology workforce statistics
CBRE's Scoring Tech Talent 2025 Latin America release reports 2024 employment for eleven markets. The nine selected below measure technology occupations across industries, a broader group than software developers.
Source: CBRE Scoring Tech Talent 2025 Latin America release, with the underlying Figure 39. Individual observations only; the source's own regional total is inconsistent with its rows and is excluded here.
These are CBRE's market labels. Their exact administrative boundaries haven't been established for this article. For additional city context, see Chile technology hubs. Comparisons with other reports depend on the area covered: two sources can use the same city name while measuring different geographic areas.
The same nine CBRE market observations are ordered by reported workforce size. These counts cover technology occupations across industries and do not measure the number of developers available to hire.
Startup ecosystem statistics
LAVCA's 2026 Startup Ecosystem Insights groups cities by startup activity and separately ranks selected cities by venture-deal count. Its data runs through June 30, 2026.
Main startup hubs: São Paulo Metro, Mexico City Metro, Santiago Metro, Bogotá Metro, and Buenos Aires Metro (printed p. 9 / PDF page 10).
Montevideo's venture-deal rank: seventh among the selected cities for 2025 (printed p. 11 / PDF page 12).
These measures describe venture-backed startup and funding activity. They don't measure workforce size, engineering quality, or available delivery capacity. The tech hubs in Latin America profiles add institutions, company examples, and working-hour comparisons.
Methodology and limitations
The figures retain each source's population, period, and unit. GSC's compensation analysis is identified separately from the published trade, workforce, and startup observations.
Each compensation median describes respondents in one country; it is not a regional average or a census of developers. Summing the workforce rows would not produce a comprehensive regional developer count because the selection covers only nine city markets and includes technology occupations outside software development.
Multiplying the rounded computer-services share by digitally delivered exports would still produce a broader service category, so it cannot supply a revenue total specifically for outsourced software development.
How to cite a statistic
A complete citation includes the publisher, observation year, geography and measure in the sentence containing the figure. The review date above identifies this article's editorial check; it does not change the year of an observation.
For example: “CBRE reported 110,580 workers in technology occupations across industries in the Bogotá market in 2024.” For a compensation figure: “GSC's analysis of the Stack Overflow Developer Survey 2025 found median annual total compensation of $30,600 among Brazilian respondents in software-development roles.”
These answers address the scope of the figures and their use in software-sourcing research.
The sources here do not establish a software-outsourcing-only regional total. The $87.7 billion figure covers digitally delivered services exports from Latin America and the Caribbean in 2024, including categories beyond software. Use that full label when citing it.
GSC's analysis of the Stack Overflow Developer Survey 2025 found rounded median annual total compensation of $30,600 in Brazil and $42,300 in Argentina among respondents in software-development roles. These USD figures include salary, bonuses, and perks before taxes and deductions. Respondents chose to take part in the survey; different respondent mixes prevent a like-for-like comparison of what the same engineer would earn in each country.
No. They count technology workers across industries in the named markets. Availability, seniority, and start dates require candidate or supplier evidence. The guide to hiring developers in Latin America covers assessment against a specific role.
The figures here do not show what a development provider would charge. A quote needs to specify scope, staffing and pricing units. The distinction between reported compensation and an engagement price is explained in software outsourcing cost; the guide to software development costs in Latin America provides an employment budget template and guidance on comparing supplier quotes.
Takeaway
The trade observations describe regional exports, GSC's compensation medians describe survey respondents, and the city figures describe employment and startup activity. Together they provide dated market context for software-sourcing research. Keep each figure attached to its definition and publisher so a reader can trace it back to the appropriate table or report page.
Global Software Companies maintains sole editorial control over this content. Rankings and analysis are based on our proprietary methodology and are not influenced by company listings, partnerships, or advertising relationships. See our Editorial Policy for more information.
About this article
Daniel Grygoryev
Daniel Grygoryev is a highly experienced copywriter and researcher with a technical and trustworthy writing style. He specializes in creating professional and engaging whitepapers, pitch decks, and blog content for various niches including NFTs, crypto, IT, and digital marketing. Daniel has helped numerous businesses stand out from competitors and persuade investors.
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This page is reviewed using a consistent editorial process that evaluates company data, service offerings, client feedback, and publicly available information. Content is updated regularly to reflect changes in company profiles, reviews, and market relevance.
Update history
September 18, 2026 — GSC format conversion
Sources
- 1.Digital Trade in Latin America and the Caribbean: Connecting Markets, Powering Growth
- 2.full report PDF
- 3.2025 Developer Survey methodology
- 4.work and compensation questions
- 5.Scoring Tech Talent 2025 Latin America release
- 6.Figure 39: Top Latin American Markets
- 7.report definitions
- 8.2026 Startup Ecosystem Insights
