LONDON, July 18 (Xinhua) -- Brazil retains its lead status in this year's Times Higher Education (THE) Latin America University Rankings -- claiming six of the top 10 places and a third of all positions, according to THE's latest ranking revealed in London Wednesday.

The South American country has 43 universities represented in 2018's prestigious table, up from 32 last year.

It also retains the top two spots, with its State University of Campinas (Unicamp) ranked number one for a second year, while the University of Sao Paulo - which retains second place - tops the table for research.

THE's 2018 ranking spans 10 nations across Latin America and the Caribbean - up from eight last year, as Peru re-joins the ranking and Jamaica features for the first time. 129 institutions are included, up from 82 last year - with 49 first-time entrants, leading to increased regional competition.

Chile retains its status as the second most represented nation, with 26 universities, up from 18. Mexico remains the third most represented country in this year's ranking with 22 institutions represented, up from 13 last year.

While Brazil dominates the ranking, THE said its analysis of the region reveals a more nuanced picture of regional excellence.

The analysis reveals Ecuador as the top-performing Latin American country when it comes to its universities' research influence (citations) and international outlook - closely followed by Chile.

But Argentina comes top for teaching environment, followed by Brazil, while Chile and Ecuador fare poorly.

Phil Baty, Editorial Director of Global Rankings for THE, said: "Deep economic and political strains are being felt in countries across Latin America, inevitably damaging the performance and attractiveness of the region's universities on the global stage - and jeopardising their rich potential. "

"We need to see more Latin American universities embracing global data comparisons to help them develop, improve and compete regionally, and worldwide. We work in full cooperation with universities and share our analysis and insights to help them develop in the best way for them. I very much hope more will get involved so that we can work alongside them to help them achieve their goals,"he added.

THE is a weekly magazine based in London reporting specifically on news and issues related to higher education. It is Britain's leading publication in its field.

The 2018 THE Latin America University Rankings rank 129 universities from 10 countries in Latin America.