With Brazil contracting 3%, Latin America's economy will shrink 0.3%, says IMF report

Thursday, October 8th 2015 - 10:21 UTC

Full article 7 comments

“The downturn in Brazil was deeper than expected,” the IMF said and warned of “significant negative spillovers” in the region.

The International Monetary Fund said today that it now expects Latin America's economy to shrink 0.3% this year instead of growing 0.5%, largely due to a steep recession in Brazil and slumping commodity prices. It would be the first recession for the Latin American and Caribbean region since 2009.

But the IMF, which is holding its annual meeting in Peru this week, said in its World Economic Outlook release that the region's economy should recover in 2016 to expand by 0.8%.

The IMF had put 2016 growth at 1.7% in its last forecast in July, before regional giant Brazil's economy took a sharp turn for the worse with a slump in output, a ballooning corruption scandal and painful credit rating downgrade.

The IMF's growth revisions for Latin America, part of its gloomier take on the global economy, were the sharpest for any region. Its new forecast for Brazil's 2015 recession, minus 3%, was double its previous view.

“The downturn in Brazil was deeper than expected,” the IMF said in its World Economic Outlook report. It warned of “significant negative spillovers” in the region.

The IMF also noted slower-than-expected growth in Mexico and ongoing problems in Venezuela, where it sees the economy shrinking 10% this year while inflation is set to soar above 100%.

Regarding Argentina, prospects are far from optimistic as the 170-page document: this year the economy will grow 0.4% but the next president will have to address a 0.7% fall of the GDP in 2016. The estimation for Argentina's inflation this year is 16.8%, the fourth worldwide.

Categories: Economy, Brazil, Latin America.

Tags: Brazil economy, IMF’s Regional Economic Outlook, International Monetary Fund, IMF, Latam economy.

Top Comments

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ChrisR
All these numbers so diligently crafted as they are pulled out of a hat!

Anybody who believes this really does need to have their head examined.

The determination of error is as big as the numbers touted by the IMF.
Oct 08th, 2015 - 11:05 am 0
Brasileiro
The speculative financial market contracted 35% from January to September / 2015.

Experts say that the stock market plunge and the Foreign Exchange market (speculation) account for 50% of GDP contraction. Another 30% of civil industry and the manufacturing industry and 20% of the shipping industry and oil.

Minimize speculation is like never to eat a MacDonalds sandwich to lose weight and live a healthier life.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_bYfhnP1mM
Oct 08th, 2015 - 12:22 pm 0
Jack Bauer
@2 brasshole (the one with shit for brains)
The contraction is due mainly to fat ass's malfeasance and incompetence.
Spin it the way you want - it won't change the facts.
Btw, why don't you get a brain transplant ?
Oct 08th, 2015 - 05:13 pm 0

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