Peru struggles with recovery and lowers 2023 GDP growth forecast to 1.1%.
However, the government stated that the country is striving to regain the rapid growth that made its economy stand out in emerging markets this century.
“The economy’s growth capacity has declined in the past 12-13 years, and the pandemic accelerated this slower growth process,” Economy and Finance Minister Alex Contreras, told reporters.
“Reversing this trend is the challenge of this administration.”
Contreras noted that the ministry reduced its 2023 growth forecast from 2.5% to 1.1%.
So far this year, the nation’s economy has shrunk due to social unrest and damage to fishing and agriculture by the El Niño climate event.
This puts Peru’s economy on track for its worst year in two decades, excluding the COVID-19 pandemic and global financial crisis.
Additionally, Peru’s private investment faces the sharpest decline since 1999 amid economic and political challenges.
Before the pandemic, Peru was the fastest-growing economy among major Latin American countries.
In recent years, continuous political crises and weak global growth have also impacted the economy.
Slow growth worldwide is affecting the commodity exporter, Contreras said.
“Growing at higher rates is increasingly complicated, especially in a world growing at low rates,” he stated.
The Andean nation is a significant exporter of copper, other metals, and agricultural products like avocados, grapes, blueberries, asparagus, and fish.
RIPLE EFFECTS
The economic crisis in Peru is multifaceted, involving not only a slowdown in growth but also political instability, global economic challenges, and climatic events.
The government is actively working to reverse the declining growth trend, which has been challenging for over a decade and was exacerbated by the pandemic.
The significant reduction in the 2023 growth forecast, the impacts of social unrest and the El Niño climate phenomenon, and the ongoing challenges posed by global economic conditions underscore the situation’s complexity.
As a key player in the global commodities market, the economic challenges faced by Peru will have ripple effects worldwide, affecting supply chains and international trade dynamics.