The UN's Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean has lowered its forecast for Bolivia's economy to growth of 0.2% in 2026, from 0.5% in August, The Rio Times reports. Its 2027 forecast falls to 0.6%, leaving Bolivia level with Chile as the slowest-growing economy in South America.
The commission's outlook is much more optimistic than that of the International Monetary Fund, which this month predicted a 3.0% contraction this year and a further 1.5% fall in 2027, after the economy shrank by 1.6% in 2025.
Bolivia, led by centre-right President Rodrigo Paz for almost a year, agreed a US$1.9 billion IMF programme in September and October, alongside cuts to fuel subsidies. ECLAC expects Latin America and the Caribbean as a whole to grow by 2.0% in 2026.
Source: The Rio Times
