Currency | Uruguayan peso (UYU, $U) |
---|---|
Calendar year | |
Trade organizations | WTO, ALADI, Mercosur, Andean Community (associate) |
Country group | |
Statistics | |
Population | 3,444,263 (2023) [3] |
GDP | |
GDP rank | |
GDP growth | |
GDP per capita | |
GDP per capita rank | |
GDP by sector |
|
3.96% (April 2024) [7] | |
Population below poverty line | 9.1% (2022) [8] |
40.6 medium (2022, World Bank) [9] | |
| |
73 out of 100 points (2023) [11] (18th) | |
Labor force | |
Labor force by occupation |
|
Unemployment | 7.8% (July 2023) [13] |
Main industries | food processing, electrical machinery, transportation equipment, petroleum products, textiles, chemicals, beverages |
External | |
Exports | $11.41 billion (2017 est.) [6] |
Export goods | beef, soybeans, cellulose, rice, wheat, wood, dairy products, wool |
Main export partners |
|
Imports | $8.607 billion (2017 est.) [6] |
Import goods | refined oil, crude oil, passenger and other transportation vehicles, vehicle parts, cellular phones |
Main import partners |
|
FDI stock | |
$879 million (2017 est.) [6] | |
Gross external debt | $28.37 billion (31 December 2017 est.) [6] |
Public finances | |
57.4% of GDP (2022 est.) [6] [note 1] | |
−3.5% (of GDP) (2017 est.) [6] | |
Revenues | 17.66 billion (2017 est.) [6] |
Expenses | 19.72 billion (2017 est.) [6] |
$15.96 billion (31 December 2017 est.) [6] | |
All values, unless otherwise stated, are in US dollars. |
The economy of Uruguay features an export-oriented agricultural sector and a well-educated workforce, along with high levels of social spending. Tourism and banking are also prominent sectors; Uruguay acts as a regional hub for international finance and tourism. The country also has a history and representation of advanced workers-rights protection, with unions and the eight-hour work-day protected at the beginning of the 20th century.
90% of the country's population is urbanized, while most of the industry and over half of the population is concentrated in the capital Montevideo. [16]
After averaging growth of 5% annually during 1996–98, Uruguay's economy suffered a major downturn in 1999–2002, stemming largely from the spillover effects of the economic problems of its large neighbors; Argentina and Brazil. In 2001–02, Argentine citizens made massive withdrawals of dollars deposited in Uruguayan banks after bank deposits in Argentina were frozen, which led to a plunge in the Uruguayan peso, causing the 2002 Uruguay banking crisis.
In the 19th century, the country had similar characteristics to other Latin American countries: caudillismo, civil wars and permanent instability (40 revolts between 1830 and 1903), foreign capitalism's control of important sectors of the economy, a high percentage of illiterate people (more than half the population in 1900). Among foreign investments, investors from Great Britain controlled 22% of the land and many majors parts of the industrial infrastructure, including meatpacking and leather industry, infrastructure for water and gas, and transport systems like trolley and 1100 miles of rail. [16]
José Batlle y Ordóñez, President from 1903 to 1907 and again from 1911 to 1915, set the pattern for Uruguay's modern political development and dominated the political scene until he died in 1929. Batlle introduced widespread political, social, and economic reforms such as a welfare program, government participation in many facets of the economy, and a new constitution. [17]
Batlle nationalized foreign-owned companies and created a modern social welfare system. Income tax for lower incomes was abolished in 1905, secondary schools established in every city (1906), telephone network nationalized, unemployment benefits were introduced (1914), eight-hour working day introduced (1915), etc. [17] [16] By 1929, 84% of manufacturing was concentrated in a handful of industries: meatpacking, leather and wool. [16] Industrial policies further encouraging migration from rural to urban communities, as well as waves of immigrants from southern and eastern Europe. [16] Investment in urban infrastructure in Montevideo and a growing economy, was capped by hosting the first 1930 FIFA World Cup. [16]
Claudio Williman who served between Batlle's two terms was his supporter and continued all his reforms, as did the next President Baltasar Brum (1919–1923). Around 1900 infant mortality rates (IMR) in Uruguay were among the world's lowest, indicating a very healthy population.
The economy of Uruguay started in the early 20th century (1920s-1950s) with government policy focused on import substitution industrialization, where the government encouraged and protected national manufacturers to reduce dependency on imports. [16] Generally, manufacturing prospered during this period with growth of 8.4% a year from 1945 to 1954. [16]
By 1956 the middle class was approximately 40% of the population, with urban services and culture, like mass media and cinema, flourishing. [16] However, the policy of import substitution industrialization began to collapse in the 1950s, leading to economic and social unrest. [16]
Anthropology professor Daniel Renfrew describes both the 50s and 60s and dictatorship period (70s and 80s) as economic downturn periods, followed by further economic degradation caused by neoliberalism. [16] Economist Jamie Mezzera disagrees with this interpretation, arguing that between 1968 and 1972, Uruguay was one of the most regulated capitalist economies in the world. In this period, the government massively increased import tariffs and had near-total wage and price controls. The government instituted these policies to avoid the political pressure that would come if they were to devalue their currency. [18] Between 1955 and 1972, economic output in Uruguay stagnated. After the price and wage controls were largely removed in 1973, growth increased by 4.3% per year until 1979.
The policies of the Colorado Party under Julio María Sanguinetti and Jorge Batlle during the 90s and early 2000s, following global trends of neo-liberalization, facilitated a shift from manufacturing and small-scale agriculture, towards increasing monoculture agriculture and services like finance and tourism. [16] However, these policies faded as the regional economic problems in Argentina and Brazil caused a downturn and unemployment from 1998 to 2003. [16] The economic and social crises that followed allowed for the election of the Broad Front a leftist coalition against the neoliberal policies. [16]
The number of trade unionists has quadrupled since 2003, from 110,000 to more than 400,000 in 2015 for a working population of 1.5 million people. According to the International Trade Union Confederation, Uruguay has become the most advanced country in the Americas in terms of respect for "fundamental labor rights, in particular, freedom of association, the right to collective bargaining and the right to strike".[ citation needed ]
Uruguay has a partially dollarized economy. As of August 2008 [update] almost 60% of bank loans use United States dollars, [19] but most transactions use the Uruguayan peso. [20] Today, the Uruguayan peso is minted in coins of 1, 2, 5, 10, and 50 pesos and in banknotes of 20, 50, 100, 200, 500, 1000, and 2000 pesos.
Throughout Uruguay's history, their strongest exporting industries have been beef and wool. In the case of beef exports, they have been boosted since Uruguay joined the Mercosur agreement in 1991 and the country has been able trade with more distant markets, such as Japan. In 2018, it produced 589 thousand tons of beef. [21] In the case of wool exports, they have not been doing so well in recent years suffering from other competitors in the market like New Zealand and the fluctuations of its demand during the 2008 recession in the developed world.
As timber refining is being kept within the country, forestry has become a growth industry in recent years. In 2018, the country produced 1.36 million tons of rice, 1.33 million tons of soy, 816 thousand tons of maize, 637 thousand tons of barley, 440 thousand tons of wheat, 350 thousand tons of sugar cane, 106 thousand tons of orange, 104 thousand tons of grape, 90 thousand tons of rapeseed, 87 thousand tons of potato, 76 thousand tons of sorghum, 71 thousand tons of tangerine, 52 thousand tons of oats, 48 thousand tons of apple, in addition to smaller yields of other agricultural products. [22]
Liebig Extract of Meat Company ran a very large and influential beef extract factory in Fray Bentos for 100 years.
During the last decades the software industry has developed considerably. Many start-ups have been very successful, such is the case of PedidosYa. Uruguay also exports software; the similar geographic longitude to that of the United States makes it attractive for companies to outsource software development to Uruguayan companies. Other notable Uruguayan software enterprises are: Genexus, Códigos del Sur, Overactive. [24]
Although this is a sector that does not make substantial contributions to the country's economy, in recent years there has been some activity in gold and cement production, and also in the extraction of granite.
Artigas Department is well known for its amethyst and agate quartz varieties mining. During 2010s 20 thousand tons of minerals were extracted with a value of 9 million of US dollars, exported to Germany, United States, Brazil and China. [25]
Due to two major investments made in 1991 and 1997, the most significant manufactured exports in Uruguay are plastics. These investments laid the way for most of the substantial exports of plastic-based products which have taken a very important role in Uruguay's economy.[ citation needed ]
Despite having poor levels of investment in the fixed-line sector, the small size of Uruguay's population has enabled them to attain one of the highest telecommunication density levels in South America and reach a 100% digitalization of main lines. Although the telecommunications sector has been under a state monopoly for some years, provisions have been made to introduce liberalization and to allow for the entry of more firms into the cellular sector.[ citation needed ]
In 2013, travel and tourism accounted for 9.4% of the country's GDP. [26] Their tourist industry is mainly characterized for attracting visitors from neighboring countries. Currently Uruguay's major attraction is the interior, particularly located in the region around Punta del Este. [27]
"With a population of only three million, Uruguay has rapidly become Latin America's outsourcing hub. In partnership with one of India's largest technology consulting firms, engineers in Montevideo work while their counterparts in Mumbai sleep." - The New York Times, Sep 22, 2006.
Currently in force (Free Trade Agreements / Economic Complementation Agreements) |
Mercosur (signed and effective November 1991) |
ECA N.º 36 MERCOSUR with Bolivia (signed December 1996 and effective February 1997) |
FTA with Mexico (signed November 2003 and effective July 2004) |
ECAa N.º 59 with Ecuador (signed October 2004 and effective April 2005) |
ECA N.º 58 MERCOSUR with Peru (signed August 2005 and effective December 2005) |
ECA N.º 62 MERCOSUR with Cuba (signed July 2006 and effective September 2008) |
Comercial Preference Agreement MERCOSUR with India (signed January 2004 and effective June 2009) |
FTA MERCOSUR with Israel (signed December de 2007 and effective December 2009) |
Partial Agreement N.º 63 with Venezuela (signed December 2012 and effective March 2013) |
Comercial Preference Agreement MERCOSUR with SACU (signed September 2011 and effective April 2016) |
FTA MERCOSUR with Egypt (signed December 2015 and effective September 2017) |
ECA N.º 72 MERCOSUR with Colombia (signed July 2017 and effective December 2017) |
FTA with Chile signed October 2016 and effective December 2018) |
Concluded (not in force) |
FTA MERCOSUR with State of Palestine (signed December 2011) |
The following table shows the main economic indicators in 1980–2021 (with IMF staff estimates in 2022–2027). Inflation below 10% is in green. [35]
Year | GDP (in Bil. US$PPP) | GDP per capita (in US$ PPP) | GDP (in Bil. US$nominal) | GDP per capita (in US$ nominal) | GDP growth (real) | Inflation rate (in Percent) | Unemployment (in Percent) | Government debt (in % of GDP) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1980 | 14.8 | 5,050.0 | 12.2 | 4,139.9 | 6.0% | 63.5% | n/a | n/a |
1981 | 16.6 | 5,594.3 | 13.6 | 4,589.0 | 1.9% | 34.0% | n/a | n/a |
1982 | 15.9 | 5,347.4 | 11.1 | 3,727.4 | -9.4% | 19.0% | n/a | n/a |
1983 | 15.6 | 5,198.1 | 6.1 | 2,033.0 | -5.9% | 49.2% | 14.5% | n/a |
1984 | 15.9 | 5,273.5 | 5.8 | 1,920.9 | -1.5% | 55.3% | 14.0% | n/a |
1985 | 16.5 | 5,422.0 | 5.7 | 1,865.1 | 0.3% | 72.2% | 13.1% | n/a |
1986 | 18.0 | 5,912.7 | 7.0 | 2,302.5 | 7.5% | 76.4% | 10.1% | n/a |
1987 | 19.6 | 6,381.1 | 8.8 | 2,864.7 | 5.9% | 63.6% | 9.1% | n/a |
1988 | 20.4 | 6,599.9 | 9.1 | 2,946.4 | 0.5% | 62.2% | 8.6% | n/a |
1989 | 21.4 | 6,896.1 | 9.6 | 3,088.0 | 1.1% | 80.4% | 8.0% | n/a |
1990 | 22.3 | 7,136.0 | 11.2 | 3,573.1 | 0.3% | 112.5% | 8.5% | n/a |
1991 | 23.8 | 7,594.2 | 13.4 | 4,281.1 | 3.5% | 102.0% | 8.9% | n/a |
1992 | 26.3 | 8,333.4 | 15.5 | 4,890.2 | 7.9% | 68.5% | 9.0% | n/a |
1993 | 27.7 | 8,705.4 | 18.0 | 5,659.5 | 2.7% | 54.1% | 8.3% | n/a |
1994 | 30.3 | 9,449.3 | 21.0 | 6,530.0 | 7.3% | 44.7% | 9.2% | n/a |
1995 | 30.5 | 9,448.7 | 23.2 | 7,176.4 | -1.4% | 42.2% | 10.3% | n/a |
1996 | 32.8 | 10,095.7 | 24.6 | 7,580.6 | 5.6% | 28.3% | 11.9% | n/a |
1997 | 35.0 | 10,665.0 | 26.0 | 7,925.9 | 5.0% | 19.8% | 11.6% | n/a |
1998 | 37.0 | 11,183.4 | 27.6 | 8,329.1 | 4.5% | 10.8% | 10.1% | n/a |
1999 | 36.8 | 11,042.6 | 26.1 | 7,814.5 | -1.9% | 5.7% | 11.2% | n/a |
2000 | 36.9 | 11,030.1 | 24.8 | 7,406.0 | -1.9% | 4.8% | 13.4% | n/a |
2001 | 36.3 | 10,837.5 | 22.7 | 6,776.8 | -3.8% | 4.4% | 15.2% | n/a |
2002 | 34.0 | 10,170.0 | 14.8 | 4,425.1 | -7.7% | 14.0% | 16.8% | n/a |
2003 | 35.0 | 10,480.1 | 13.1 | 3,926.7 | 0.8% | 19.4% | 17.2% | n/a |
2004 | 37.7 | 11,289.8 | 14.9 | 4,456.8 | 5.0% | 9.2% | 13.3% | n/a |
2005 | 41.8 | 12,471.6 | 18.9 | 5,638.0 | 7.5% | 4.7% | 12.1% | n/a |
2006 | 44.9 | 13,360.9 | 21.3 | 6,347.3 | 4.1% | 6.4% | 10.8% | n/a |
2007 | 49.1 | 14,616.2 | 25.5 | 7,587.9 | 6.5% | 8.1% | 9.4% | n/a |
2008 | 53.6 | 15,945.2 | 33.0 | 9,808.9 | 7.2% | 7.9% | 7.9% | 46.4% |
2009 | 56.3 | 16,653.9 | 34.4 | 10,181.7 | 4.2% | 7.1% | 7.8% | 46.4% |
2010 | 61.4 | 18,069.7 | 43.8 | 12,899.7 | 7.8% | 6.7% | 7.0% | 40.8% |
2011 | 65.9 | 19,306.8 | 52.3 | 15,331.1 | 5.2% | 8.1% | 6.3% | 41.6% |
2012 | 66.8 | 19,489.1 | 55.6 | 16,213.8 | 3.5% | 8.1% | 6.3% | 49.8% |
2013 | 70.4 | 20,475.3 | 62.1 | 18,049.7 | 4.6% | 8.6% | 6.5% | 50.1% |
2014 | 74.2 | 21,491.9 | 61.9 | 17,908.8 | 3.2% | 8.9% | 6.6% | 50.8% |
2015 | 74.9 | 21,614.5 | 57.4 | 16,565.8 | 0.4% | 8.7% | 7.5% | 57.8% |
2016 | 76.9 | 22,092.5 | 57.2 | 16,448.8 | 1.7% | 9.6% | 7.9% | 55.8% |
2017 | 79.1 | 22,637.3 | 64.4 | 18,431.4 | 1.6% | 6.2% | 7.9% | 56.7% |
2018 | 81.4 | 23,204.0 | 64.3 | 18,338.8 | 0.5% | 7.6% | 8.4% | 58.3% |
2019 | 83.1 | 23,617.2 | 61.0 | 17,341.4 | 0.4% | 7.9% | 8.9% | 61.0% |
2020 | 79.0 | 22,361.7 | 53.7 | 15,208.0 | -6.1% | 9.8% | 10.4% | 68.3% |
2021 | 85.9 | 24,233.1 | 59.3 | 16,735.3 | 4.4% | 7.7% | 9.4% | 65.1% |
2022 | 96.8 | 27,232.8 | 71.2 | 20,017.6 | 5.3% | 9.1% | 7.9% | 61.2% |
2023 | 103.8 | 29,109.3 | 73.0 | 20,463.9 | 3.6% | 7.8% | 7.9% | 62.6% |
2024 | 108.9 | 30,425.7 | 74.8 | 20,919.5 | 2.7% | 6.4% | 7.9% | 63.9% |
2025 | 113.7 | 31,668.3 | 77.6 | 21,620.1 | 2.5% | 5.8% | 7.9% | 64.1% |
2026 | 118.4 | 32,882.5 | 79.6 | 22,122.0 | 2.2% | 4.5% | 7.9% | 64.9% |
2027 | 123.3 | 34,153.7 | 82.0 | 22,710.1 | 2.2% | 4.5% | 7.9% | 64.7% |
The following table shows the economic rankings of Uruguay compared to the world:
Index | Source | Rank | Published |
---|---|---|---|
Quality of Life Index | Numbeo [36] | 42° | 2024 |
Human Development Index | UNDP [10] | 52° | 2022 |
Democracy Index | Economist Intelligence Unit [37] | 11° | 2022 |
Global Peace Index | Vision of Humanity [38] | 46° | 2020-2022 |
Prosperity Index | Legatum [39] | 37° | 2021 |
Corruption Perceptions Index | Transparency [40] | 14° | 2023 |
Economic Freedom Index | Heritage [41] | 34° | 2022 |
Global Competitiveness Report | World Economic Forum [42] | 54° | 2019 |
Cost of Living Index | Expatistan [43] | 30° | 2023 |
Debt Rating [44] | Moodys | BAA2 | 2021 |
S&P | BBB | 2017 | |
Fitch | BBB- | 2020 | |
Developed Country Recognition | World Bank | High Income | 2023 |
United Nations | Very High HDI | 2021 (2022 report) | |
Index of Geopolitical Gains and Losses after Energy Transition (GeGaLo Index) | Overland et al. [45] | 6 out of 156 | 2019 |
The economy of Burkina Faso is based primarily on subsistence farming and livestock raising. Burkina Faso has an average income purchasing-power-parity per capita of $1,900 and nominal per capita of $790 in 2014. More than 80% of the population relies on subsistence agriculture with only a small fraction directly involved in industry and services. Highly variable rainfall, poor soils, lack of adequate communications and other infrastructure, a low literacy rate, and a stagnant economy are all longstanding problems of this landlocked country. The export economy also remained subject to fluctuations in world prices.
The economy of Croatia is a developed mixed economy. It is one of the largest economies in Southeast Europe by nominal gross domestic product (GDP). It is an open economy with accommodative foreign policy, highly dependent on international trade in Europe. Within Croatia, economic development varies among its counties, with strongest growth in Central Croatia and its financial centre, Zagreb. It has a very high level of human development, low levels of income inequality, and a high quality of life. Croatia's labor market has been perennially inefficient, with inconsistent business standards as well as ineffective corporate and income tax policy.
The economy of Colombia is the fourth largest in Latin America as measured by gross domestic product and the third-largest economy in South America. Colombia has experienced a historic economic boom over the last decade. Throughout most of the 20th century, Colombia was Latin America's 4th and 3rd largest economy when measured by nominal GDP, real GDP, GDP (PPP), and real GDP at chained PPPs. Between 2012 and 2014, it became the third largest in Latin America by nominal GDP. As of 2024, the GDP (PPP) per capita has increased to over US$19,000, and real gross domestic product at chained PPPs increased from US$250 billion in 1990 to nearly US$800 billion. Poverty levels were as high as 65% in 1990, but decreased to under 30% by 2014, and 27% by 2018. They decreased by an average of 1.35% per year since 1990.
The economy of the Dominican Republic is the seventh largest in Latin America, and is the largest in the Caribbean and Central American region. The Dominican Republic is an upper-middle income developing country with important sectors including mining, tourism, manufacturing, energy, real estate, infrastructure, telecommunications and agriculture. The Dominican Republic is on track to achieve its goal of becoming a high-income country by 2030, and is expected to grow 79% in this decade. The country is the site of the single largest gold mine in Latin America, the Pueblo Viejo mine. Although the service sector is currently the leading employer of Dominicans, agriculture remains an important sector in terms of the domestic market and is in second place in terms of export earnings. Tourism accounts for more than $7.4 billion in annual earnings in 2019. Free-trade zone earnings and tourism are the fastest-growing export sectors. A leading growth engine in the Free-trade zone sector is the production of medical equipment for export having a value-added per employee of US$20,000, total revenue of US$1.5 billion, and a growth rate of 7.7% in 2019. The medical instrument export sector represents one of the highest-value added sectors of the country's economy, a true growth engine for the country's emerging market. Remittances are an important sector of the economy, contributing US$8.2 billion in 2020. Most of these funds are used to cover household expenses, such as housing, food, clothing, health care and education. Secondarily, remittances have financed businesses and productive activities. Thirdly, this combined effect has induced investment by the private sector and helps fund the public sector through its value-added tax. The combined import market including the free-trade-zones amounts to a market of $20 billion a year in 2019. The combined export sector had revenues totaling $11 billion in 2019. The consumer market is equivalent to $61 billion in 2019. An important indicator is the average commercial loan interest rate, which directs short-term investment and stimulates long-term investment in the economy. It is currently 8.30%, as of June 2021.
The economy of Ecuador is the eighth largest in Latin America and the 69th largest in the world by total GDP. Ecuador's economy is based on the export of oil, bananas, shrimp, gold, other primary agricultural products and money transfers from Ecuadorian emigrants employed abroad. In 2017, remittances constituted 2.7% of Ecuador's GDP. The total trade amounted to 42% of the Ecuador's GDP in 2017.
The economy of Grenada is largely tourism-based, small, and open economy. Over the past two decades, the main thrust of Grenada's economy has shifted from agriculture to services, with tourism serving as the leading foreign currency earning sector. The country's principal export crops are the spices nutmeg and mace. Other crops for export include cocoa, citrus fruits, bananas, cloves, and cinnamon. Manufacturing industries in Grenada operate mostly on a small scale, including production of beverages and other foodstuffs, textiles, and the assembly of electronic components for export.
The economy of Kenya is market-based with a few state enterprises. Kenya has an emerging market and is an averagely industrialised nation ahead of its East African peers. Currently a lower middle income nation, Kenya plans to be a newly industrialised nation by 2030. The major industries driving the Kenyan economy include financial services, agriculture, real estate, manufacturing, logistics, tourism, retail and energy. As of 2020, Kenya had the third largest economy in Sub-Saharan Africa, behind Nigeria and South Africa. Regionally, Kenya has had a stronger and more stable economy compared to its neighboring countries within East Africa. By 2023, the country had become Africa's largest start-up hub by both funds invested and number of projects.
The economy of Laos is a lower-middle income developing economy. Being a socialist state, the Lao economic model resembles the Chinese socialist market and/or Vietnamese socialist-oriented market economies by combining high degrees of state ownership with openness to foreign direct investment and private ownership in a predominantly market-based framework.
The economy of Latvia is an open economy in Europe and is part of the European Single Market. Latvia is a member of the World Trade Organization (WTO) since 1999, a member of the European Union since 2004, a member of the Eurozone since 2014 and a member of the OECD since 2016. Latvia is ranked the 14th in the world by the Ease of Doing Business Index prepared by the World Bank Group. According to the Human Development Report 2023/24 by the United Nations Development Programme, has a HDI score of a 0.879. Due to its geographical location, transit services are highly developed, along with timber and wood processing, agriculture and food products, and manufacturing of machinery and electronic devices.
The economy of Moldova is an emerging upper-middle income economy, Moldova is a landlocked Eastern European country, bordered by Ukraine on the East and Romania to the West. It is a former Soviet republic and today a candidate member to the European Union.
The economy of Paraguay is a market economy that is highly dependent on agriculture products. In recent years, Paraguay's economy has grown as a result of increased agricultural exports, especially soybeans. Paraguay has the economic advantages of a young population and vast hydroelectric power. Its disadvantages include the few available mineral resources, and political instability. The government welcomes foreign investment.
The economy of Tanzania is a lower-middle income economy that is centered around Manufacturing, Tourism, Agriculture, and financial services. Tanzania's economy has been transitioning from a planned economy to a market economy since 1985. Although total GDP has increased since these reforms began, GDP per capita dropped sharply at first, and only exceeded the pre-transition figure in around 2007.
The economy of Venezuela is based primarily on petroleum, as the country holds the largest crude oil supply in the world. Venezuela was historically among the wealthiest economies in South America, particularly from the 1950s to 1980s. During the 21st century, under the leadership of socialist populist Hugo Chávez and his successor Nicolás Maduro, the Venezuelan economy has collapsed, prompting millions of citizens to flee Venezuela. GDP has fallen by 80 percent in less than a decade. The economy is characterized by corruption, good shortages, unemployment, mismanagement of the oil sector, and since 2014, hyperinflation.
The economy of Tunisia is in the process of being liberalized after decades of heavy state direction and participation in the country's economy. Prudent economic and fiscal planning has resulted in moderate but sustained growth for over a decade. Tunisia's economic growth historically has depended on oil, phosphates, agri-food products, car parts manufacturing, and tourism. In the World Economic Forum Global Competitiveness Report for 2015–2016, Tunisia ranks in 92nd place.
The economy of Madagascar is US$9.769 billion by gross domestic product as of 2020, being a market economy and is supported by an agricultural industry and emerging tourism, textile and mining industries. Malagasy agriculture produces tropical staple crops such as rice and cassava, as well as cash crops such as vanilla and coffee.
The economy of Guyana is one of the fastest growing economies in the world with a gross domestic product (GDP) growth of 19.9% in 2021. In 2024, Guyana had a per capita gross domestic product of Int$80,137 and an average GDP growth of 4.2% over the previous decade. Guyana's economy was transformed in 2015 with the discovery of an offshore oil field in the country's waters about 190 km from Georgetown, making the first commercial-grade crude oil draw in December 2019, sending it abroad for refining.
The South American economic crisis is the economic disturbances which have developed in 2002 in the South American countries of Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay.
The economy of Ivory Coast is stable and currently growing, in the aftermath of political instability in recent decades. The Ivory Coast's economy is largely market-based and depends heavily on the agricultural sector. Almost 70% of the Ivorian people are engaged in some form of agricultural activity. The economy grew 82% in the 1960s, reaching a peak growth of 360% in the 1970s, but this proved unsustainable and it shrank by 28% in the 1980s and a further 22% in the 1990s. This decline, coupled with high population growth, resulted in a steady fall in living standards. The gross national product per capita, now rising again, was about US$727 in 1996. It was substantially higher two decades before. Real GDP growth is expected to average 6.5% in 2024–25.
The economy of Algeria deals with Algeria's current and structural economic situation. Since independence in 1962, Algeria has launched major economic projects to build up a dense industrial base. However, despite these major achievements, the Algerian economy has gone through various stages of turbulence.
The economy of Argentina is the second-largest national economy in South America, behind Brazil. Argentina is a developing country with a highly literate population, an export-oriented agricultural sector, and a diversified industrial base.
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