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…
Este es un documento de proyecto de cooperación técnica interinstitucional entre el Ministerio de las Culturas, las Artes y el Patrimonio de Chile (MINCAP) y la Comisión Económica para América Latina y el Caribe (CEPAL) surge a partir de la constatación de la inexistencia de un sistema completo y robusto de estadísticas socioeconómicas de la cultura. Su objetivo central, por tanto, consiste en fortalecer la capacidad técnica-operativa del MINCAP y de su Subsecretaría de las Culturas y las Artes con la asistencia técnica de la CEPAL.…
The Caribbean’s long-running public debt challenge has been worsened by COVID-19. Recent international interest rate increases and the looming threat of climate change impacts place even more burden on Caribbean governments' budgets. While the Caribbean's average debt burden has risen in the past 13 years, some countries have been able to lower their debt ratios. This study closely examines the performance of two Caribbean countries which over the past 13 years, have seen a sustained downward trend in their debt ratios, Jamaica and Saint Kitts and Nevis, and one country that has seen…
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…
United States trade in goods slowed in 2023, ending the recovery following the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, as goods exports and imports declined by 2.2% and 4.9%, respectively. The decrease in merchandise trade contrasts with significant improvements in services trade, as exports and imports of services rose by 8.2% and 4.8%, respectively. Recently, exports of digitally enabled services have considerably outpaced those of other services and goods, underscoring their growing importance in the global market.
The relative weight of Latin America and the Caribbean in United States tra…
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…
The Economic Survey of Latin America and the Caribbean 2023 analyses the complex macroeconomic scenario for the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean, and projects that low economic growth will continue in 2023 and 2024. Inflation is expected to ease, although it will remain relatively high, as will public debt levels. This is coupled with a slowdown in employment, investment and consumption, and rising social demands. The report shows that both external and domestic factors have affected the region’s economic performance.
This edition of the Economic Survey also analyses the macroecon…
En el Estudio Económico de América Latina y el Caribe 2023 se analiza el complejo escenario macroeconómico que enfrentan los países de América Latina y el Caribe, y se señala que en 2023 y 2024 continuará el bajo crecimiento económico. Asimismo, se prevé una caída de la inflación, aunque permanecería en niveles relativamente altos al igual que los niveles de deuda pública. A ello se suma un menor dinamismo del empleo, la inversión y el consumo, y crecientes demandas sociales. El informe destaca que existen tanto factores externos como internos que han incidido en el desempeño económico de la r…
This year and next, the region’s economies will stay mired in a trap of low capacity for growth, with growth rates that will remain low and a growth dynamic that depends more on private consumption, and less on investment. This is according to the Preliminary Overview of the Economies of Latin America and the Caribbean 2024, ECLAC’s last annual flagship report in the current year, released today by the United Nations organization.
According to this report by the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), the growth rate projected for 2024 is 2.2% and for 2025, 2.4%, with …
Las economías de la región seguirán este año y el próximo sumidas en una trampa de baja capacidad para crecer, con tasas de crecimiento que se mantendrán bajas y con una dinámica de crecimiento que depende del consumo privado, y menos de la inversión. Así lo señala el Balance Preliminar de las Economías de América Latina y el Caribe 2024, último informe anual (flagship) de la CEPAL del presente período, dado a conocer hoy por el organismo de las Naciones Unidas.
Según el reporte de la Comisión Económica para América Latina y el Caribe (CEPAL), la tasa de crecimiento proyecta…
As economias da região continuarão este ano e no próximo presas em uma armadilha de baixa capacidade de crescimento, com taxas de crescimento que permanecerão baixas e com uma dinâmica de crescimento que depende do consumo privado, e menos do investimento. É o que aponta o Balanço Preliminar das Economias da América Latina e do Caribe 2024, o último relatório anual (flagship) da CEPAL do presente período, divulgado hoje pela organização das Nações Unidas.
Segundo o relatório da Comissão Econômica para a América Latina e o Caribe (CEPAL), a taxa de crescimento projetada para 2024 é de 2,2% e de…
Entre 2013 y 2022, las economías de la región han registrado la menor tasa de crecimiento del número de ocupados desde 1950. Pero no sólo se están creando cada vez menos empleos, sino que la mayoría de los empleos que se crean son informales. El menor crecimiento del PIB sin duda constituye una de las razones detrás de estos hechos, pero más allá del impacto que el bajo crecimiento económico tiene en la dinámica de la ocupación informal, hay ciertos grupos que suelen ser más propensos a obtener empleos informales que otros.
En este estudio, empleando una definición harmonizada de “ocupación in…
This edition of the International Trade Outlook for Latin America and the Caribbean analyses how the complex global context, marked by increased protectionism, geopolitical tensions and shipping disruptions, is affecting the region’s international trade. It examines the role of international trade in regional food security —and the lack thereof, especially in the Caribbean— despite the region being the world’s leading net food exporter. It also analyses the role of modern services as a driver of exports. Recommendations for the development of modern services include reducing restrictions, harm…
This article is focused on the hypotheses of Raúl Prebisch and Hans Singer regarding the centre-periphery model, which is the cornerstone of development theory for peripheral countries. The article emphasizes aspects of theory and policy related to the political economy of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) from the early 1950s to the present. It shows how, since the 1980s, ECLAC economists —influenced by evolving neo-Schumpeterian models and equipped with sophisticated microeconomic instruments— have undertaken a critical appraisal of the import substitution m…
Este artículo se centra en las hipótesis de Prebisch y Singer sobre el modelo centro-periferia, que ha sido el núcleo de la teoría del desarrollo de los países periféricos. El artículo enfatiza los aspectos teóricos y normativos relacionados con la economía política de la Comisión Económica para América Latina y el Caribe (CEPAL) desde principios de la década de 1950 hasta la actualidad. Muestra que, a partir de la década de 1980, los economistas de la CEPAL, influidos por los modelos evolutivos neoschumpeterianos y equipados con sofisticados instrumentos microeconómicos, mantuvieron intactas …
This article analyses Chile’s monetary policy following the 1973 military coup and the failed attempt at nominal stabilization during the dictatorship. Two causes of persistent inflation are identified: (i) the narrowing of the fiscal deficit in 1974 was insufficient to curb high monetary issuance and inflation, thus perpetuating the inflation needed to finance the fiscal deficits; and (ii) the perception by economic agents that fiscal needs, financed through seigniorage, would not slow the growth of the monetary base and inflation. This perception kept inflation levels high following the coup…