Paraguay


Paraguay Country Report: GDP data and GDP forecasts; economic, financial and trade information; the best banks in Paraguay; country and population overview

DATA ON GDP AND ECONOMIC INFORMATION
Central bankCentral Bank of Paraguay
International ReservesUS$ 4.167 billion (Source: World Bank; Data updated: November 2010)
Gross Domestic Product - GDPUS$ 22.143 billion (2010 estimate)
GDP (Purchasing Power Parity)35.556 billion of International dollars (2010 estimate)
Real GDP growth
20002001200220032004200520062007
-3.3%2.1%0%3.8%4.1%2.9%4.3%6.8%
2008200920102011*
5.8%-3.8%15.3%5.6%

*Estimate

GDP per capita - current pricesUS$ 3,391 (2008 estimate)
GDP per capita - PPP$5,445 International Dollars (2008 estimate)
GDP (PPP) - share of world total
19801990200020102015**
0.05%0.05%0.04%0.04%0.04%

**Forecast

GDP - composition by sector
  • agriculture: 20.2% 
  • industry: 18.7% 
  • services: 61.2% (2009 estimate)

    • (Data released on November 2010)

Gross domestic expenditure on R&D (% of GDP)N/A

(Data released on November 2010)

Inflation
2008200920102011*
10.2%(2008)2.6%4.7%9.6%

*Estimate

Unemployment rate
2008200920102011*
5.6%6.4%6.1%(2009)5.9%

*Estimate

Household saving ratesN/A

(Data released on November 2010)

Public debt (General government gross debt as a % of GDP)
20072008200920102011*
21.9%19.1%18%15%12.8%

*Estimate

Public deficit (General government net lending/borrowing as a % of GDP)
2007200820092010*2011**
1.5%3%0.5%0.5%-0.1%

*Estimate    **Forecast

Government bond ratings

Standard & Poor's: B+/Positive/B

Moody's rating: B3

Moody's outlook: RUR+

(Foreign Currency Government Bond Ratings; Data last updated Nov 2010)

Market value of publicly traded shares
200720082009
N/AN/AN/A
Largest companies in ParaguayN/A
DATA ON TRADE AND COMPETITIVENESS
Current account balanceUS$ -0.9 billion (2010 estimate)(After 2008)
Current account balance by percentage of GDP-4.1% of GDP (2010 estimate)(2009)
Exports as percent of GDP

(Exports of goods and services)

48.2% (2009)

(Data released on December 2010)

Shares in world total merchandising export0.03%(2007)

(Data were released in Nov 2011 and refer to 2010)

Shares in world total commercial services export0.04%(2007)

(Data were released in Nov 2011 and refer to 2010)

Total exportsUS$7.972 billion f.o.b. (2010 estimate)
Export commoditiessoybeans, feed, cotton, meat, edible oils, electricity, wood, leather
Total importsUS$7.351 billion f.o.b. (2008 estimate)
Import commoditiesroad vehicles, consumer goods, tobacco, petroleum products, electrical machinery, tractors, chemicals, vehicle parts
Exports - major partnersArgentina 28.1%, Uruguay 15.2%, Brazil 12.7%, Chile 5.9%, Germany 4.9%, Russia 4.5% (2007)
Imports - major partnersBrazil 30.4%, US 22.8%, Argentina 14.4%, China 8.6% (2007)
FDI inflows
200820092010
US$320 millionUS$209 million(2009)US$419 million(2009)
FDI outflows
200820092010
US$8 millionUS$8 millionUS$-4 million
Value of cross-border M&A, by country of purchaser
2008200920102011
N/AN/A(2009)N/A(2009)N/A
Cross-border M&A deals worth over $3 billion completed in 2008

(Acquiring company, Acquired company, Country of the acquired company, Value of the deal)

N/A

(for a monthly update on M&A click here )

Cross-border M&A deals worth over $3 billion completed in 2010

(Acquiring company, Acquired company, Country of the acquired company, Value of the deal)

N/A(2008 estimate)

(for a monthly update on M&A click here )

Best countries for doing business

World Bank/IFC Doing Business Project

(Economies are ranked on their ease of doing business, from 1 – 183. A high ranking means the regulatory environment is more conducive to the starting and operation of a local firm.)

Overall ranking: 106 out of 183 countries(2009) (2010)

Subcategories:

Starting a business: 102 out of 183 countries(2009)

Registering property: 60 out of 183 countries

Paying Taxes: 110 out of 183 countries

Getting credit: 72 out of 183 countries

Protecting investors: 59 out of 183 countries

Trading across border: 152 out of 183 countries

Enforcing Contracts: 107 out of 183 countries

(2010)

Global competitiveness ranking
(ranking by country on a basis of 142, the first is the best)		122

(2011/2012)

Index of Economic Freedom

WSJ and Heritage Foundation

Ranking: 77 Score: 62.3 (Moderately Free) (2009)

(100=totally free 0=totally repressed )

COUNTRY AND POPULATION OVERVIEW
Time zoneUTC-4
Total area 406,752 km2 (2006)
CapitalAsuncion (2009)
Currencyguarani (PYG) (2009)
Government typeconstitutional republic (2009)
LanguagesSpanish (official), Guarani (official)
ReligionsRoman Catholic 89.6%, Protestant 6.2%, other Christian 1.1%, other or unspecified 1.9%, none 1.1% (2002 census)
Total population
1980199020002010*2015**
3.11 million4.09 million5.31 million6.4 million7.07 million

*Estimate    **Forecast

Urban population as % of total population
1960198020002009
35.6%41.7%55.3%60.9%
Population median age22.0 years (2006)
Population growth rate1.8% (2009)
Life expectancy72 years (2007)
Adult literacy94% (2000/2007)
% of population living on less than $2 a day13.2% (2011)
Inequality of wealth distribution (Gini index)

52 (2008)

(0=perfect equality, 100=absolute inequality)

Freedom House rating

Political Rights:3
Civil Liberties:3 (2010)

(1 represents the most free, 7 the least free)

Total telephone subscribers as % of population

97.91% (2010)

(sum of fixed telephone lines and mobile cellular subscribers)

Internet users as % of total population23.6% (Data were released in 2011 and refer to 2010)
Cost of living index

(ranking by city on a basis of 214; the 1st is the most expensive and the 214th is the least expensive)

Asunción: 204th (2011)

CO2 emissions
(Metric tons of CO2 per capita)

0.6602 (2008)

GLOBAL FINANCE RANKINGS AND AWARDS

WORLD'S BEST INTERNET BANKS

2011:
  • COUNTRY WINNERS / Best Corporate / Institutional Internet Banks Citi (National, 2011)
2010:
  • COUNTRY WINNERS / Best Corporate/Institutional Internet Banks Citi (National, 2010)
2009:
  • COUNTRY WINNERS / Best Corporate/Institutional Internet Banks Citi (2009)

WORLD'S BEST EMERGING MARKET BANKS

2011:
  • COUNTRY WINNERS BBVA Paraguay (National, 2011)
2010:
  • COUNTRY WINNERS Interbanco (National, 2010)
2009:
  • COUNTRY WINNERS Interbanco (National, 2009)

WORLD'S BEST SUB CUSTODIANS

2009:
  • COUNTRY WINNERS Interbanco (National, 2009)

WORLD'S BEST FOREIGN EXCHANGE PROVIDERS

2011:
  • COUNTRY WINNERS Banco Itaú Paraguay (National, 2011)
ARTICLES AND COUNTRIES REPORTS FROM GLOBAL FINANCE ARCHIVE