Addressing Key Challenges to Sustainable Growth and Development in the Caribbean

The Hummingbird Vol. 10 No. 6

Report of the Fifteenth session of the Regional Conference on Women in Latin America and the Caribbean 

Brief overview of Caribbean countries based on standardized household surveys

ECLAC regularly compiles and harmonizes data from household surveys for Latin American countries. The harmonization of information allows the production of comparable indicators and enables undertaking comparative analysis across countries. For this instance, ECLAC’s Statistics Division has extended this work to include household surveys from Caribbean countries, with the support from ECLAC subregional headquarters for the Caribbean. This document takes advantage of the harmonization work of the surveys to present an overview of the social indicators in ten Caribbean countries or territories: …

Report of the Seventeenth Conference of Ministers and Heads of Planning of Latin America and the Caribbean

State-of-the-art in international development cooperation, with a focus on South-South and triangular cooperation: analytical study of knowledge accrued, 2013–2022

This publication analyses the state-of-the-art in international development cooperation, with a focus on South-South and triangular cooperation, based on a bibliographic and documentary review of more than 80 publications published between 2013 and 2022. The contents are organized under four headings: (i) development in transition as a foundation, (ii) multi-stakeholder environment: identification of key stakeholders, (iii) challenges and priorities in South-South and triangular cooperation, and (iv) towards the reconfiguration of South-South and triangular cooperation as a development tool: a…

Social Panorama of Latin America and the Caribbean, 2022. Executive summary: accessible format

The Executive summary of Social Panorama of Latin America and the Caribbean 2022, accessible format, has four chapters. Chapter I presents the relevant macroeconomic background in terms of the evolution of per capita GDP, employment, household income distribution and the consumer price index, and looks at how income inequality and poverty have changed over the past two decades (2002–2021). The chapter also discusses changes that occurred in social stratification during the pandemic. Chapter II addresses the worrying silent crisis of education as another of the pandemic’s major consequences, as…

Public debt and development distress in Latin America and the Caribbean

Unfavourable global macrofinancial conditions have given rise to concerns about public debt sustainability in developing economies, including those of Latin America and the Caribbean. These adverse conditions threaten to worsen the already weak economic growth in the region. Public debt in the region is at levels last seen two decades ago, with a sharp increase in 2020 capping a progressive rise over the past decade. History suggests that countries may undergo development distress when similar macrofinancial and debt conditions coincide. High debt service may lead countries to face critical tr…

Revenue Statistics in Latin America and the Caribbean 2023

This report compiles comparable tax revenue statistics over the period 1990‑2021 for 27 Latin American and Caribbean economies. Based on the OECD Revenue Statistics database, it applies the OECD methodology to countries in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) to enable comparison of tax levels and tax structures on a consistent basis, both among the economies of the region and with other economies. The report includes two special features examining the fiscal revenues from non‑renewable natural resources in the LAC region in 2021 and 2022 as well as the measurement and evaluation of tax expen…

Fiscal Panorama of Latin America and the Caribbean 2023: fiscal policy for growth, redistribution and productive transformation

In 2022, the fiscal situation in Latin America and the Caribbean was characterized by rising tax revenues and declining in public spending, resulting in smaller fiscal deficits. Nevertheless, public debt remains high. Against this backdrop, this edition of the Fiscal Panorama of Latin America and the Caribbean proposes a fiscal policy for growth, redistribution and productive transformation. It examines options for strengthening personal income tax, to boost its revenues and redistributive potential. In a context of mounting pressure on public spending, it is vital to take strategic approach, …

Off to a good start? Inequalities and policy options for facilitating school-to-work transition among youth

In Latin America, approximately one in four people of working age are young, at 15–24 years old, the age at which most make the transition from school to the labour market. This young population group is a valuable resource for the region with potential to increase economic growth. This document presents indicators that reveal the barriers to access to decent work that exclude young people, mainly those from lower-income households and women. Policy options are put forward to reduce these gaps and facilitate the transition to the labour market with a comprehensive approach that enhances demand…

The miniaturization of containerized commodities

The miniaturization of commodities can have an impact on international merchandise trade by affecting supply chains and transportation, which must adapt to their shrinking size. In the specific case of containerized goods, the number of containers transported by ships and handled by port terminals is expected to decrease, since a greater number of items will fit into each container at a given freight value. To test this hypothesis, a preliminary exercise was carried out on the containerized imports of the United States from its main trading partners for the period 2003–2021 to determine which …

Summary of the Chair. Sixth meeting of the Forum of the Countries of Latin America and the Caribbean on Sustainable Development

Agreements. Twenty-second meeting of the Executive Committee of the Statistical Conference of the Americas of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean

The Hummingbird Vol. 10 No. 5

Intergovernmentally agreed conclusions and recommendations of the Sixth meeting of the Forum of the Countries of Latin America and the Caribbean on Sustainable Development

United States economic outlook: 2022 year-in-review and early 2023 developments

The United States economy grew by 2.1% in 2022. Consumer spending was the main driver of growth. The economic outlook improved in the second half of 2022, following two quarters of negative growth, and this momentum has carried over into early 2023. The labour market was strong in 2022 and continued to show strength in early 2023. Inflation rose to 8% in 2022, the highest annual level in four decades, but slowed to 5% in March 2023. The Federal Reserve approved nine interest rate increases between March 2022 and March 2023 to tame inflation. March 2023 saw heightened market stress owing to ban…

Institutional transformation and strengthening of Latin America’s ministries of finance: From control to the strategic use of public resources for development

The institutional development of ministries of finance determines their capacities to achieve fiscal policy objectives (sustainability) and contribute to economic policy objectives. This study analyses the institutional transformation of ministries of finance in Latin America. Methodologically, it examines the functions assigned by law (legal-regulatory frameworks). Analytically, it proposes two categories of functional models (traditional models focused on spending control and modern ones focused on strategic spending management). Successful institutional strengthening processes have at least…

Halfway to 2030 in Latin America and the Caribbean: progress and recommendations for acceleration. Summary

The countries of Latin America and the Caribbean are halfway through the time frame set for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that underpin the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The progress towards the Goals and targets was drastically hampered by the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, which has taken a heavy toll across the globe since 2020 and undermined efforts to achieve the Agenda in many regions of the world, including Latin America and the Caribbean, hardest hit by the pandemic. The last biennium has also been marked by global developments that have advers…

Report of the Eighth Ministerial Conference on the Information Society in Latin America and the Caribbean