During 2019, the proportion of households living in poverty in the country remained at 21%, which is identical to the percentage reported in 2018.
According to the National Household Survey 2019, prepared by the National Institute of Statistics and Censuses, per area of residence, urban poverty reaches 19.8% of households, while rural poverty reaches 24.2%, both values without significant changes with respect to 2018.
In the first nine months of this year, the country received $4.159 million in remittances, surpassing in 4% what was reported in the same period of 2018.
During September the country recorded $459 million in remittances, more than the $429.3 million received in the same month in 2018.
Private services, manufacturing industries and wholesale and retail trade explained part of the 3% year-on-year increase reported in gross GDP in the period from April to June 2019.
Financial intermediation, insurance and auxiliary activities, and Construction were other economic activities contributing to the growth of the Gross Domestic Product for the quarter in question.
After the economies of the region grew by 2.6% in 2018 as a whole, the IMF estimates that 2019 would close with a rise of 2.7% and could reach 3.4% by 2020.
The document "World Economic Outlook", prepared by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), states that for Panama the projected growth of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) for 2019 was reduced from 5% to 4.3%.
From January to September 2019, family remittances to Guatemala totaled $7.748 million, 14% more than in the same period in 2018.
The most recent figures from the Bank of Guatemala (Banguat) indicate that in September 2019 the country received remittances of $892 million, 20% more than the $745 million recorded in the same month in 2018.
In September, the Consumer Price Index increased 2% year-on-year, up from 1.7% in August 2019.
The Central Bank of the Dominican Republic (BCRD) reported that the consumer price index (CPI) registered a 0.38 % variation in September 2019 with respect to August, so that accumulated inflation in the January-September period stood at 2.38%.
Up to July of this year, economic activity in the country grew 2.8%, slightly higher than the 2.5% recorded in the previous month.
The economic activities highlighted for their contribution to the overall result of the indicator were: Financial Intermediation, Insurance and Pension Funds, Post and Telecom, Commerce and Manufacturing Industry, as well as Private Construction and Electricity and Water, reported the Central Bank of Honduras.
After recording a 1.4% year-on-year variation in July, in August the IMAE varied by 1.6%, again explained by the performance of the special regimes manufacturing sector.
The growth of the Monthly Economic Activity Index (IMAE) in August was driven by the production of special regimes (free zone and active perfecting), which grew at a 12.6% year-on-year rate, informed the Central Bank of Costa Rica.
In August, the IMAE in Guatemala registered a 3.7% year-on-year variation, influenced by wholesale and retail trade activities, and private services.
The economic activity measured by the estimation of the IMAE, in August 2019, showed a 3.7% growth rate, variation that is slightly lower compared to the 3.8% registered in the eighth month of 2018, explains the report of the Banco de Guatemala.
During August 2019, the Monthly Economic Activity Index reported a 4.8% year-on-year increase, explained by the exploitation of mines and quarries and financial services.
The monthly indicator of economic activity (IMAE) shows a 4.8% growth in August 2019, maintaining the accumulated average expansion of the period January-August 2019 at 4.7%, which reflects that the Dominican economy has reacted favorably to monetary easing measures implemented from June this year, as expected by the Central Bank, informed the monetary authority.
After having recorded a 4% fall in GDP in 2018, the Central Bank authorities forecast that the Nicaraguan economy will begin to recover in the 2020-2021 period.
During the ninth month of the year, the CPI registered a 4.4% variation with respect to September 2018, being health services and housing rentals, the items that registered the most important increases.
In September 2019, monthly inflation -measured through the variation of the Consumer Price Index (CPI)- was 0.15%. The Central Bank of Honduras reported that the above is explained by the increase in the prices of rental housing and some services for its maintenance, medicines and health services, counteracted by the reduction in the prices of fuels and some food products.
In the 2019 Global Competitiveness Index, Costa Rica, Panama, Guatemala, El Salvador, and Nicaragua fell back in the ranking, while Honduras registered no changes and the Dominican Republic was the only country that improved.
According to the report by the World Economic Forum, during 2019 Costa Rica ranked 62 out of 141 countries. It was followed by Panama at box 66, the Dominican Republic at 78, Guatemala at 98, Honduras at 101, El Salvador at 103 and Nicaragua at 109.
The gradual abolition of price control, the creation of the PPP regulatory framework and greater flexibility in preferential interests in the housing market are the advances recognized by Panamanian businessmen in the first 100 days of the Cortizo era.
For the third consecutive month, the inflationary rate in Guatemala decelerated, since the year-on-year variations reported by the Consumer Price Index during July, August and September, were of 4.4%, 3% and 1.8%, respectively.
The most important inflation levels in September 2019 are as follows: monthly inflation of -0.58%, inflationary rate of 1.80% and accumulated inflation of 1.63%, according to the National Statistics Institute (INE).
español
4230