Chart: Growth, Inflation, and Debt for Top Latin American Economies

As Latin America enters the second year of the pandemic, a clearer picture is emerging of both how ably governments are managing their public health and economic responses, along with how well situated they are for economic recovery as they travel down a long road toward vaccination. Countries such as Chile, Colombia, and Peru that had solid macroeconomic foundations at the onset of the pandemic should have more straightforward recoveries, though the outcome of June 6 presidential runoff clouds Peru’s future, as does recent social unrest over tax reform in Colombia. Countries on shaky macroeconomic ground going in—like Argentina, Costa Rica, and Ecuador—will require more fiscal discipline. And the region’s two biggest economies, Brazil and Mexico, face myriad challenges, although the latter will benefit from its proximity and ties to the U.S. economy, which is already experiencing a strong recovery.

AS/COA Online takes a look at growth, inflation, and debt indicators as countries in the region seek to get on an economic recovery path.