As of December 2019, IMAE recorded a 2.8% increase, partly due to the performance of the manufacturing and service sectors.
This result places the average annual growth in production at 1.9%, lower than the previous year's (2.6%), which, as the Central Bank has pointed out, reflects the economic slowdown experienced by the country since April 2016 and which reached its lowest point in May 2019, a situation caused by a combination of circumstances (uncertainty associated with the fiscal situation, external shocks to trade flows and adverse weather conditions), the official report explains.
At the end of 2019, economic activity in Guatemala grew 3%, behavior that was explained in part by the performance of the commercial and construction sectors.
From the Bank of Guatemala report:
During December 2019 the economic activity measured by the IMAE estimate, registered a 3.1% growth rate with respect to December 2018 (2.2%).
This behavior was explained by the positive result mainly experienced by the economic activities of Commerce and vehicle repair; Construction; Real estate activities; Financial and insurance activities; and Agriculture, livestock, forestry and fishing, which had a greater influence on the growth rate of the total IMAE.
In January, the Economic Activity Confidence Index registered a 39% increase compared to the same month in 2019, reinforcing the upward trend that has been reported since July 2019.
An inflationary rhythm of 3.72% is forecast for January, 3.71% for February and 3.84% for March 2020. As to December 2020 and 2021, the Panel forecasts an inflationary rhythm of 4.07% and 4.19%, in that order.
Construction and financial intermediation were the sectors contributing most to the growth of the Gross Domestic Product registered during 2019.
Construction, with its significant expansion of 10.5%, remained the activity with the greatest impact on economic growth in 2019, driven by the development of public and private investment projects corresponding to low and medium cost housing, by the execution of works in the tourism, commercial and energy sectors, as well as the construction and remodeling of infrastructure for land transport and access roads in rural areas, reported the Central Bank of the Dominican Republic (BCRD).
During November 2019, the Monthly Index of Economic Activity reported a 3.6% year-on-year change, which was largely determined by commercial activities and financial intermediation.
Among the categories of economic activity showing positive behavior were: commerce, transportation, storage and communications, public administration, financial intermediation, agriculture, electricity and water, mining and quarrying, and domestic services, reported the General Comptroller of the Republic.
During November 2019, the IMAE registered a 2.6% year-on-year increase, largely because of the performance of Financial Intermediation and the Manufacturing Industry.
From the Central Bank of Honduras report:
As of November 2019, the volumes produced of goods and services in the country registered a 2.6% increase, with respect to the same period in 2018 (3.7%), according to the original IMAE series; while the cycle trend series denotes a recovery for the second consecutive month, by growing 2.5% year-on-year (3.7% in 2018).
During December 2019 in Honduras, the Economic Activity Confidence Index registered a 33% decrease with respect to what was reported at the end of 2018.
Analysts said they expect that the slower evolution of the world economy and adverse weather conditions could continue to affect the growth of the Honduran economy, reported the Central Bank of Honduras.
Trade and vehicle repair were the activities that, during November 2019, explained the 3.4% year-on-year variation in the IMAE.
In November last year, the Monthly Index of Economic Activity (IMAE) slowed down for the second consecutive month, from 4.3% to 3.7% between September and October, and in the eleventh month it fell to 3.4%, reported the Bank of Guatemala.
A few days before the new government takes office in Guatemala, the Economic Activity Confidence Index reported a 21% year-on-year growth.
Figures from the Bank of Guatemala indicate that in December 2019 the country's Confidence in Economic Activity Index (Icae) reported a considerable increase compared to the same month in 2018, a performance that reinforces the upward trend it has been registering since July last year.
After the Monthly Index of Economic Activity reported a 5.2% year-on-year increase in October 2019, the change was 5.5% in November last year.
For November 2019, the economic activities with the highest incidence in the behavior exhibited during the period are Free Zones (13.8%), Construction (10.6%), Financial Services (8.9%), Other Services Activities (7.2%), Trade (6.3%), Energy and Water (5.7%), Transport and Storage (5.8%) Real Estate Activities (4.9%), and Agriculture and Livestock (4.7%), explains the report of the Central Bank of the Dominican Republic.
Because of the tension between the productive sector and the government, coupled with the lack of official statistics from the Central Bank, some companies in Nicaragua have chosen to stop providing information to the authorities.
In an attempt to hide the complicated economic situation, the country is going through, local authorities have not published information on the Monthly Economic Activity Index since February 2019, when the year-on-year drop was 7.5%. This prevents businessmen from making decisions based on the real situation of the economy.
During the third quarter of the year, constant GDP totaled $10.731 million, 3% more than that reported for the same period in 2018.
Of the activities related to the domestic economy had a positive performance in this quarter, transport and communications, government services, electricity, trade, financial intermediation, private health and education, reported the General Comptroller of the Republic.
During October 2019, a 2.5% year-on-year variation was reported in the IMAE, a rise that is explained by the behavior of manufacturing activity and the service sector.
According to the report of the Central Bank of Costa Rica (BCCR), with the rise reported in the tenth month of the year, the Monthly Index of Economic Activity (IMAE) showed signs of recovery for the fifth consecutive month.
During October, the IMAE registered a 2.7% year-on-year increase, largely because of the performance of the manufacturing industry and the commercial sector.
The original series of the Monthly Economic Activity Index (IMAE) reflects that, up to October 2019, the national production of goods and services, in terms of volume, grew 2.7% (3.7% in the same period of 2018), reported the Central Bank of Honduras (BCH).
In October 2019, the Monthly Index of Economic Activity in the Dominican Republic reported a 5.2% year-on-year increase, explained by the construction and exploitation of mines and quarries.
The Monthly Indicator of Economic Activity (IMAE) shows for the second consecutive month a growth above the potential, recording a 5.2% year-on-year variation in October 2019 after having expanded by 5.1% in September, reported the Central Bank of the Dominican Republic (BCRD).