Argentina


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

DATA ON GDP AND ECONOMIC INFORMATION
Central bankCentral Bank of Argentina
International ReservesUS$ 52.208 billion (Source: World Bank; Data updated: November 2010)
Gross Domestic Product - GDPUS$ 456.817 billion (2010 estimate)
GDP (Purchasing Power Parity)688.418 billion of International dollars (2010 estimate)
Real GDP growth
20002001200220032004200520062007
-0.8%-4.4%-10.9%8.8%9%9.2%8.5%8.7%
2008200920102011*
6.8%0.8%9.2%6%

*Estimate

GDP per capita - current pricesUS$ 11,169 (2006 estimate)
GDP per capita - PPP$16,832 International Dollars (2006 estimate)
GDP (PPP) - share of world total
19801990200020102015**
1.2%0.78%0.8%0.85%0.8%

**Forecast

GDP - composition by sector
  • agriculture: 6% 
  • industry: 32% 
  • services: 62% (2009 estimate)

    • (Data released on November 2010)

Gross domestic expenditure on R&D (% of GDP)0.51% (2007)

(Data released on November 2010)

Inflation
2008200920102011*
8.6%(2008)6.3%10.5%10.2%

*Estimate

Unemployment rate
2008200920102011*
7.3%8.7%7.7%(2009)9%

*Estimate

Household saving ratesN/A

(Data released on November 2010)

Public debt (General government gross debt as a % of GDP)
20072008200920102011*
67.9%59.6%57.6%47.8%40.7%

*Estimate

Public deficit (General government net lending/borrowing as a % of GDP)
2007200820092010*2011**
-2.1%-0.3%-3.7%-3.5%-3.8%

*Estimate    **Forecast

Government bond ratings

Standard & Poor's: B/Stable/B

Moody's rating: B3

Moody's outlook: STA

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

Market value of publicly traded shares
200720082009
US$86.684 billionUS$52.309 billionUS$48.932 billion
Largest companies in ArgentinaN/A
DATA ON TRADE AND COMPETITIVENESS
Current account balanceUS$ 0.5 billion (2009 estimate)(After 2008)
Current account balance by percentage of GDP0.1% of GDP (2009 estimate)(2009)
Exports as percent of GDP

(Exports of goods and services)

24.5% (2008)

(Data released on December 2010)

Shares in world total merchandising export0.45%(2007)

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

Shares in world total commercial services export0.35%(2007)

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

Total exportsUS$68.5 billion f.o.b. (2010 estimate)
Export commoditiessoybeans and derivatives, petroleum and gas, vehicles, corn, wheat
Total importsUS$59.9 billion f.o.b. (2008 estimate)
Import commoditiesmachinery, motor vehicles, petroleum and natural gas, organic chemicals, plastics
Exports - major partnersBrazil 19.1%, China 9.4%, US 7.9%, Chile 7.6% (2007)
Imports - major partnersBrazil 34.6%, US 12.6%, China 12%, Germany 5% (2007)
FDI inflows
200820092010
US$9,726 millionUS$4,017 million(2009)US$6,337 million(2009)
FDI outflows
200820092010
US$1,391 millionUS$712 millionUS$964 million
Value of cross-border M&A, by country of purchaser
2008200920102011
US$274 millionUS$-77 million(2009)US$92 million(2009)US$200 million
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: 115 out of 183 countries(2009) (2010)

Subcategories:

Starting a business: 142 out of 183 countries(2009)

Registering property: 118 out of 183 countries

Paying Taxes: 143 out of 183 countries

Getting credit: 65 out of 183 countries

Protecting investors: 109 out of 183 countries

Trading across border: 115 out of 183 countries

Enforcing Contracts: 45 out of 183 countries

(2010)

Global competitiveness ranking
(ranking by country on a basis of 142, the first is the best)		85

(2011/2012)

Index of Economic Freedom

WSJ and Heritage Foundation

Ranking: 138 Score: 51.7 (Mostly Unfree) (2009)

(100=totally free 0=totally repressed )

COUNTRY AND POPULATION OVERVIEW
Time zoneUTC-3
Total area 2,780,400 km2 (2006)
CapitalBuenos Aires (2009)
CurrencyArgentine pesos (ARS) (2009)
Government typerepublic (2009)
LanguagesSpanish (official), Italian, English, German, French
Religionsnominally Roman Catholic 92% (less than 20% practicing), Protestant 2%, Jewish 2%, other 4%
Total population
1980199020002010*2015**
27.95 million32.53 million36.78 million40.52 million42.4 million

*Estimate    **Forecast

Urban population as % of total population
1960198020002009
73.6%82.9%90.1%92.2%
Population median age29.0 years (2006)
Population growth rate1% (2009)
Life expectancy75 years (2007)
Adult literacy98% (2000/2007)
% of population living on less than $2 a day2.35% (2011)
Inequality of wealth distribution (Gini index)

45.8 (2009)

(0=perfect equality, 100=absolute inequality)

Freedom House rating

Political Rights:2
Civil Liberties:2 (2010)

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

Total telephone subscribers as % of population

166.53% (2010)

(sum of fixed telephone lines and mobile cellular subscribers)

Internet users as % of total population36% (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)

Buenos Aires: 159th (2011)

CO2 emissions
(Metric tons of CO2 per capita)

4.8236 (2008)

GLOBAL FINANCE RANKINGS AND AWARDS

WORLD'S BEST FOREIGN EXCHANGE BANKS

2010:
  • COUNTRY WINNERS Citi (National, 2010)
2009:
  • COUNTRY WINNERS Citi (2009)

WORLD'S BEST TRADE FINANCE BANKS & PROVIDERS

2011:
  • COUNTRY WINNERS Citi (National, 2011)
2010:
  • COUNTRY WINNERS Banco Santander Río (National, 2010)
2009:
  • COUNTRY WINNERS Banco Santander Río (National, 2009)

WORLD'S BEST INTERNET BANKS

2011:
  • COUNTRY WINNERS / Best Consumer Internet Banks Santander Rio (National, 2011)
  • COUNTRY WINNERS / Best Corporate / Institutional Internet Banks Citi (National, 2011)
  • REGIONAL SUB-CATEGORY WINNERS /Best Consumer Internet Banks/ Best Online Deposit, Credit and Investment Product Offerings Banco Santander Rio (Latin America, 2011)
  • REGIONAL SUB-CATEGORY WINNERS / Best Consumer Internet Banks/ Best Integrated Consumer Bank Site Banco Santander Rio (Latin America, 2011)
  • GLOBAL SUB-CATEGORY WINNERS / Best Consumer Internet Banks / Best Integrated Consumer Bank Site Santander Rio (Global, 2011)
2010:
  • COUNTRY WINNERS / Best Consumer Internet Banks Santander Rio (National, 2010)
  • COUNTRY WINNERS / Best Corporate/Institutional Internet Banks Citi (National, 2010)
2009:
  • REGIONAL SUB-CATEGORY WINNERS / Best consumer Internet Banks/Best Bill Payment & Presentment Santander Rio (Latin America, 2009)
  • REGIONAL SUB-CATEGORY WINNERS / Best consumer Internet Banks/Best Online Consumer Credit Site Santander Rio (Latin America, 2009)
  • COUNTRY WINNERS / Best Consumer Internet Banks Santander Rio (National, 2009)
  • COUNTRY WINNERS / Best Corporate/Institutional Internet Banks Citi (2009)

WORLD'S BEST EMERGING MARKET BANKS

2011:
  • COUNTRY WINNERS Banco Santander Rio (National, 2011)
2010:
  • COUNTRY WINNERS Banco Macro (National, 2010)
2009:
  • COUNTRY WINNERS Banco Macro (National, 2009)

WORLD'S BEST SUB CUSTODIANS

2011:
  • COUNTRY WINNERS Citi (National, 2011)
2010:
  • COUNTRY WINNERS Citi (National, 2010)
2009:
  • COUNTRY WINNERS Citi (2009)

WORLD'S BEST INVESTMENT BANKS

2011:
  • COUNTRY WINNERS Citi (National, 2011)
2010:
  • COUNTRY WINNERS Citi (National, 2010)

CENTRAL BANKER REPORT CARD

2011:
  • Grade: D (Mercedes Marcó del Pont, 2011)
2010:
  • Grade: D (Mercedes Marcó del Pont, 2010)
2009:

TOP 200 EMERGING MARKETS BANKS

2010:
  • OVERALL BIGGEST Banco de la Nación Argentina (Global, 2010)

WORLD'S BEST FOREIGN EXCHANGE PROVIDERS

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