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.
Because of factors such as business closures and lack of opportunities, it is estimated that criminal activity costs Honduras and El Salvador 16% of GDP, and in the case of Guatemala, its losses could amount to 7% of its production.
In Central America, the human costs of crime remain one of the highest in the world. El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras—referred to as the Northern Triangle— account for about four-and-a-half percent of homicides worldwide despite only having about one-half-percent of the world's population.
Last year the country received $5.65 billion in family remittances, which is 5% more than the amount reported in 2018.
In 2019, the central zone of the country received 36.6% of total remittances, equivalent to $2,069.7 million, followed by the eastern zone with 32.1%, or $1,811 million.
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.
In Panama the government estimates that in 2020 the economy will grow between 4% and 4.5%, a rise that would be determined by the behavior of construction, tourism and exports.
According to estimates from the Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF), by the end of 2019 the increase in the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) could fluctuate between 3% and 3.5%, while by the present year 2020 it will be between 4% and 4.5%.
Alejandro Giammattei, Guatemala's new president, is hosting a country with weak institutions, legal uncertainty and a business sector that is asking for a less "hostile" environment for new investments.
The Salvadoran business sector welcomes with good expectations the announcement of the Bukele administration to implement the "Economic Takeoff Plan", and they assure that they are willing to join efforts.
With the 2.9% year-on-year change reported in the IMAE in November 2019, the economy has accumulated six consecutive months of acceleration.
The country's production, measured through the Monthly Index of Economic Activity (IMAE), registered a 2.9% year-on-year growth in November, the highest since July 2018, reported the Central Bank of Costa Rica (BCCR).
Food, beverages and tobacco were the products that boosted the 3.66% inflation rate reported at the end of last year.
The consumer price index (CPI) registered a 0.20% variation in December 2019 compared to November of the same year, reported the Central Bank of the Dominican Republic (BCRD).
During 2019, the price of the dollar in Costa Rica registered multiple fluctuations; however, for this 2020, such abrupt variations are not anticipated, since the Central Bank starts the year with reserves close to $9 billion.
Data from the Central Bank of Costa Rica (BCCR) show that between February 4 and November 28, 2019, the average dollar price in the Costa Rican market fluctuated considerably, ranging from ₡614.31 to ₡562.63.
Nayib Bukele announced that his administration will implement the "Economic Takeoff Plan", which aims to create the conditions for the economy to grow above 3.5%.
The plan will focus on articulating government efforts in the agricultural sector, telecoms through connectivity and education focused on preparing the new generations in the framework of the fourth industrial revolution.
The variation in the price of some foods of agricultural origin, transport and health, determined the 4.08% year-on-year increase in the CPI reported in December last year.
In December 2019, the Consumer Price Index (CPI) showed a 0.42% variation (0.19% in December 2018), reflecting the price increase in some foods of agricultural origin, transport and health.
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.
Last year, family remittances sent to Guatemala totaled $10.508 million, 13% more than what was reported in 2018.
According to the latest figures from the Bank of Guatemala, in December 2019 the country received remittances of $941 million, an amount that exceeds by 12% the $843 million registered in the same month in 2018.
After the Consumer Price Index reported a 2.03% year-on-year variation at the end of 2018, in December 2019 the inflationary rhythm dropped to 1.52%.
The groups with greater contribution to the variation of the CPI in December 2019 were: Food and non-alcoholic beverages and Transportation, reported the National Institute of Statistics and Census (INEC).
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