RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The business climate in Latin America rose in the third quarter of this year to its best level in the last three and a half years, according to an indicator published yesterday by the Brazilian Center for Economic Studies Getulio Vargas Foundation (FGV).
Among the ten countries analyzed, Paraguay, a country that is widely underestimated but has become one of the most attractive business locations in Latin America, remains at the top of the list of the best-ranked countries, with an economic climate index of 125.1 points.
Read also: Check out our coverage on Paraguay
It is followed by Brazil (116.5), Chile (104.1), Peru (102.0), and Colombia (101.1). In these five countries, the index is in positive territory (above 100).
Five countries are in negative territory: Mexico (92.4), Uruguay (79.2), Ecuador (77.9), Bolivia (73.2), and Argentina (60.3).
The study raised the forecast for the region’s gross domestic product (GDP) growth in 2020 to 5.4% in the third quarter from the 4.3% expected in the second quarter.
By country, the highest economic growth forecasts for this year are for Peru (9%), Chile (8%), and Colombia (6.4%). The other countries are forecast to grow below the regional average: Argentina (5.3%), Mexico (5.2%), Brazil (4.9%), Bolivia (3.7%), Paraguay (3.4%), Uruguay (2.2%), and Ecuador (2.1%).
The survey is conducted quarterly among 149 professionals from 15 countries.