Troubled Assets: The IMF's Latest Projections for Economic Growth in the Western Hemisphere

Publication Date:

Publisher: Center for Economic and Policy Research

Author(s): David Rosnick

Research Area: Economics

Keywords: National economy; Recession; Gross domestic product (GDP)

Type: Brief

Abstract:

This issue brief examines the International Monetary Fund's (IMF's) economic growth projections for Latin America and the Caribbean through 2014. It finds that for some countries – most notably Venezuela and Argentina – the IMF’s projections inexplicably portend a prolonged negative impact of the current world recession, even as countries harder-hit by the downturn, such as Mexico, recover. In other cases, such as Haiti, the IMF projects a surprisingly big growth spurt.