This special issue of the United States economic outlook examines the trends in the ownership composition of United States federal debt holders, focusing on the balance between domestic and foreign investors and its implications for fiscal policy, financial stability and Latin America and the Caribbean. It provides updated data through mid-2025 on the structure of Treasury holdings, highlighting both the region’s participation as holders of United States debt and the strategies adopted by Latin American and Caribbean countries. The publication builds on two earlier reports by the ECLAC office …
In 2024, the United States economy expanded 2.8%, led by consumer spending. Job creation slowed and the unemployment rate edged up to 4.1% in December. Inflation eased to 2.4% in September but closed the year at 2.9%, with the core consumer price index (CPI) at 3.2%. The Federal Reserve cut rates in September, November and December, lowering the federal funds target range to 4.25%–4.50%, while trade and fiscal deficits widened.
In the first half of 2025, GDP growth averaged 1.4%, with a contraction of 0.3% in the first quarter and an uptick of 3.3% in the second. From January to July, the eco…
O Instituto de Pesquisa Econômica Aplicada (Ipea) desenvolveu um projeto abrangente para analisar os indicadores da Organização para a Cooperação e o Desenvolvimento Econômico (OCDE), com o objetivo de apoiar a acessão do Brasil à organização e disseminar conhecimento sobre os padrões oficiais. Dado que a realidade brasileira difere significativamente da média dos membros da OCDE e que uma comparação entre os indicadores da organização e a situação brasileira é crucial para identificar lacunas e desafios que o Brasil precisa enfrentar para se alinhar aos padrões internacionais, a realização de…
The 2021 cycle of the International Comparison Programme (ICP) reflects the commitment of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) to strengthening the region’s statistical systems and ensuring the Programme’s continuity, in keeping with the guidelines of the International Comparison Programme Global Office of the World Bank.
Among the entities tasked with compiling economic data, ECLAC covers the third-highest number of countries and territories, although the region accounts for just 7.3% of global GDP. This was a significant challenge, all the more so given the con…
El Programa de Comparación Internacional (PCI) del año 2021 simboliza el compromiso de la Comisión Económica para América Latina y el Caribe (CEPAL) con el fortalecimiento de los sistemas estadísticos nacionales de los países de la región, asegurando la continuidad sostenida al programa, en línea con las directrices establecidas por el Programa de Comparación Internacional de la Oficina Global del Banco Mundial.
Entre las agencias encargadas de compilar datos económicos, la CEPAL se convirtió en la tercera con mayor cantidad de países y territorios cubiertos, aunque la región alcanzó el 7,3% …
En este documento se analiza la evolución de las principales variables macroeconómicas de los países de Centroamérica y la República Dominicana en 2024 y sus perspectivas para 2025. Los países de esta subregión muestran resiliencia en materia macroeconómica, en un entorno económico mundial adverso. En 2024, las economías de Centroamérica y la República Dominicana registraron un crecimiento promedio ponderado del 3,9%. El déficit fiscal promedio se ubicó en un 2,7% del producto interno bruto (PIB). La política monetaria se caracterizó, en la mayoría de los países de Centroamérica y la República…
Los países de América Latina y el Caribe enfrentan la urgente necesidad de acelerar la movilización de recursos para el desarrollo a fin de evitar una nueva década perdida, en un contexto internacional complejo y poco favorable. En esta edición del Estudio Económico de América Latina y el Caribe se sintetizan los principales mensajes que llevó la Comisión Económica para América Latina y el Caribe (CEPAL) —acompañando a los países de la región— a la Cuarta Conferencia Internacional sobre la Financiación para el Desarrollo, celebrada recientemente en Sevilla (España) en 2025.
En este Estudio se…
The countries of Latin America and the Caribbean must urgently step up resource mobilization for development to avoid a third lost decade, amid a challenging and grim global landscape. This edition of the Economic Survey for Latin America and the Caribbean summarizes the key messages presented by the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) —along with the countries of the region— at the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development, held in Seville, Spain, in 2025.
This Economic Survey analyses three key dimensions of resource mobilization: fiscal and str…
Latin American and Caribbean bond issuance in international markets amounted to US$ 121.8 billion in 2024, 36% higher than in 2023 and the strongest figure in three years. The average coupon rate, at 7.1%, was slightly above the 2023 level of 6.9%, indicating that financing costs remain elevated. Although the market was still open to high-yield issuers, investment grade bonds accounted for 57% of the region’s issuance.
In 2024, issuance of green, social, sustainability and sustainability-linked (GSSS) bonds on international markets climbed by 6% relative to 2023, to a total of US$ 33.1 billi…
Latin America and the Caribbean is caught in a trap of low capacity for growth, according to the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC). The region’s economies are projected to expand by 2.2% and 2.4% in 2024 and 2025, respectively. Although these figures are above the 2015–2024 average of 1.0%, they are insufficient to close the gap with the economies of developed countries.
The 2024 and 2025 international context is one of highly uncertain financial and trade conditions and slowing growth for the region’s main trading partners. Domestic macroeconomic policy space rem…
América Latina y el Caribe enfrenta lo que la Comisión Económica para América Latina y el Caribe (CEPAL) ha denominado una trampa de baja capacidad para crecer. Para 2024 y 2025, las tasas de crecimiento serán de un 2,2% y un 2,4%, respectivamente. Si bien estas son mayores al promedio de la década 2015-2024 (1,0%), no permitirán cerrar las brechas que exhiben las economías de la región con respecto a las economías desarrolladas.
En 2024 y 2025, los países de la región enfrentan un contexto internacional caracterizado por una elevada incertidumbre financiera y comercial, y una desaceleración d…
Compilaciones que reúnen las últimas publicaciones organizadas según las principales áreas de trabajo de la Organización. Estos catálogos permiten conocer, de manera estructurada, los títulos más relevantes vinculados a las grandes líneas temáticas que orientan a la CEPAL.…
This survey examines the economic performance of economies of the Caribbean in 2022 and the first few months of 2023 and comprises five chapters. The first chapter gives an overview of global, regional and subregional economic performance in the Caribbean. The second provides an analysis of the subregion’s fiscal performance and debt burden. The third looks at monetary policy and their impacts. The fourth is focused on the external sector, while the fifth concludes.…
A região da América Latina e Caribe está presa no que a Comissão Econômica para a América Latina e o Caribe (CEPAL) chamou de uma armadilha de baixa capacidade para crescer. Em 2024 e 2025, as taxas de crescimento seriam de 2,2% e 2,4%, respectivamente. Embora sejam mais altas do que a média da década 2015-2024 (1,0%), não permitirão fechar as lacunas das economias da região em relação às economias desenvolvidas.
Em 2024 e 2025, os países da região enfrentam um contexto internacional caracterizado por elevada incerteza financeira e comercial e desaceleração do crescimento dos principais parce…
Latin America and the Caribbean is mired in a decades-long growth trap, and further hampered by global and regional conditions that limit the space for macroeconomic policies to spur economic growth in the region. The results of the Economic Survey of Latin America and the Caribbean, 2024 reveal weaker job creation, especially in the formal sector, with young people, women, older persons, migrants and rural dwellers among the most likely to be informal workers. In addition, an intensification of climate change effects will drastically reduce the number of jobs created in the medium term if mit…
América Latina y el Caribe se encuentra en una trampa de crecimiento que se ha prolongado por varias décadas y el contexto mundial y regional limitan el espacio de las políticas macroeconómicas en su favor. Los resultados del Estudio Económico de América Latina y el Caribe, 2024 muestran una reducción en la tasa de creación de puestos de trabajo, en especial empleos formales, y que grupos como los jóvenes, las mujeres, los adultos mayores, las personas migrantes y las personas que viven en zonas rurales son más propensos a tener trabajos informales. Además, un intensificación de los efectos de…
Latin America and the Caribbean is mired in a decades-long growth trap, and further hampered by global and regional conditions that limit the space for macroeconomic policies to spur economic growth in the region. The results of the Economic Survey of Latin America and the Caribbean, 2024 reveal weaker job creation, especially in the formal sector, with young people, women, older persons, migrants and rural dwellers among the most likely to be informal workers. In addition, an intensification of climate change effects will drastically reduce the number of jobs created in the medium term if mit…
The United States economy expanded at an annualized rate of 3.1% in the third quarter of 2024, above the economy’s long-term growth potential and the 3.0% growth recorded in the second quarter, driven primarily by consumer spending. The resilience of consumer spending has been supported by receding inflation and a robust labour market. Employment has increased for 47 consecutive months, but the labour market is softening. Progress in bringing down inflation has stalled over the past three months, with inflation rising from 2.4% in September 2024 to 2.7% in November. The Federal Reserve cut int…
Latin American and Caribbean issuers placed US$ 112 billion of bonds in international markets in the first 10 months of 2024. This total was 40% higher than in the same period in 2023. The market remained open to high-yield issuers from the region, but most of the region’s issuances (58%) came from the investment grade sector. After two consecutive years in which sovereign issuances surpassed the 50% mark, corporate bond issuances in the reporting period represented 57% of the total.
The region issued US$ 29 billion in green, social, sustainability and sustainability-linked bonds in internatio…