Latin America and the Caribbean: Fact Sheet
on Economic and Social Indicators
Dindi R. Robinson
Information Research Specialist
Barbara Salazar Torreon
Information Research Specialist
May 30, 2013
Congressional Research Service
7-5700
www.crs.gov
RS22657
CRS Report for Congress
Pr
epared for Members and Committees of Congress

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Latin America and the Caribbean: Fact Sheet on Economic and Social Indicators

his fact sheet tracks selected economic and social development indicators for Latin
American and Caribbean countries. Table 1 and Table 2 illustrate levels of human
Tdevelopment throughout the region. Table 3 classifies country economies by income.
Table 4 lists poverty trends in selected Latin American countries. This fact sheet shows the most
recent data available from the World Bank and the United Nations Development Programme
(UNDP), and the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean
(ECLAC).
Table 1. Selected Human Development Indicators for 2012
Gross
Life
Human
National
GNI Per
Expectancy
Mean Years Development
Income
Capita
at Birth, in
of
Index (HDI)
Country Population (U.S. $ millions)
(U.S. $)
Years
Schooling
Ranka
Mexico and Central America
Mexico 114,793,341 $1,060,221 $9,240 77.0
8.5
57
Costa Rica
4,726,575
36,191
7,660
79.3
8.3
69
El Salvador
6,227,491
21,670
3,480
72.2
7.5
105
Guatemala 14,757,316
42,359
2,870
71.2
4.1
131
Honduras 7,754,687
15,310
1,970 73.1
6.5
121
Nicaragua 5,869,859
6,842
1,170 74.0
5.8
129
Panama 3,571,185 28,258 7,910 76.1
9.4
58
Caribbean
Antigua and
89,612 1,081
12,060
72.6 8.9 60
Barbuda
Bahamas 347,176
na
na 75.6
8.5
53
Barbados 273,925
na
na 76.8
9.3
47
Belize 356,600 1,317 3,690
76.1 8.0 93
Cuba 11,253,665 na
na 79.1 9.9
51
Dominica 67,675
480
7,090 77.5
7.7
81
Dominican
10,056,181 52,647 5,240 73.4 7.2
98
Republic
Grenada 104,890
757
7,220 76.0
8.6
67
Guyana 756,040
na
na 69.9 8.0
117
Haiti 10,123,787 7,050 700 62.1 4.9 158
Jamaica 2,709,300 13,479 4,980 73.1
9.6
79
St. Kitts and
53,051 662
12,480
73.1 8.4 72
Nevis
St. Lucia
176,000
1,176
6,680
74.6
8.3
82
St. Vincent
109,365 667 6,100
72.3 8.6 85
and the
Grenadines
Suriname 529,419
na
na 70.6
7.2
104
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Latin America and the Caribbean: Fact Sheet on Economic and Social Indicators

Gross
Life
Human
National
GNI Per
Expectancy
Mean Years Development
Income
Capita
at Birth, in
of
Index (HDI)
Country Population (U.S. $ millions)
(U.S. $)
Years
Schooling
Ranka
Trinidad and
1,346,350 20,249 15,040
70.1 9.2
62
Tobago
South America
Argentina 40,764,561
397,190
9,740
75.9
9.3
45
Bolivia 10,088,108 20,546 2,040 66.6
9.2
108
Brazil 196,655,014
2,107,628 10,720 73.5 7.2
84
Chile 17,269,525
212,003 12,280
79.1 9.7
44
Colombia 46,927,125
286,546
6,110
73.7
7.3
87
Ecuador 14,666,055 60,657
4,140 75.6
7.6
83
Paraguay 6,568,290 19,511
2,970 72.5
7.7
107
Peru 29,399,817
161,701 5,500
74.0 8.7 80
Uruguay 3,368,595 39,956 11,860 77.0
8.5
48
Venezuela 29,278,000
349,054
11,920 74.4
7.6
73
Sources: The World Bank, World Development Indicators online for population, GNI, and GNI per capita;
U.N. Human Development Indicators online for Life Expectancy at Birth, Mean Years of Schooling, and HDI
Rank.
Notes: Gross national income (GNI) from the World Bank Atlas Method is the broadest measure of national
income. It measures total value added from domestic and foreign sources claimed by residents. GNI per capita is
GNI divided by mid-year population.
Life Expectancy at Birth is the number of years a newborn is expected to live if patterns of mortality prevailing at
its birth were to stay the same throughout its life.
Mean Years of Schooling is the average number of years of education received by people 25 years old and older
in their lifetime.
HDI Rank is a composite measure of three basic dimensions of human development: health, education, and
income. Calculated for 187 countries, with 1 = highest human development.
a. Rank out of 187 counties.
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Latin America and the Caribbean: Fact Sheet on Economic and Social Indicators

Table 2. Human Development Index (HDI) Classification, 2012
Very High Human
High Human
Medium Human
Low Human
Development
Development
Development
Development
Argentina
Antigua and Barbuda
Bolivia
Haiti
Barbados Bahamas
Dominican
Republic

Chile Belize El
Salvador

Brazil
Guatemala

Costa
Rica
Guyana

Colombia
Honduras

Cuba
Nicaragua

Dominica
Paraguay

Ecuador
Suriname

Grenada

Jamaica

Mexico

Panama

Peru


Trinidad and Tobago



St. Kitts and Nevis


St.
Lucia


St. Vincent and the


Grenadines
Uruguay

Venezuela

Source: U.N. Human Development Report, 2012.
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Latin America and the Caribbean: Fact Sheet on Economic and Social Indicators

Table 3. Economic Classification by Income, 2012
High Income
Upper Middle Income
Lower Middle Income
Low Income
Bahamasa
Antigua and Barbuda
Belize ($3,690)
Haiti ($700)
Barbadosa
($12,060)
Bolivia ($2,040)
Trinidad and Tobago
Argentina ($9,740)
El Salvador ($3,480)
($15,040)
Brazil ($10,720)
Guatemala ($2,870)
St. Kitts and Nevis
Chile ($12,280)
Guyanac
($12,480)
Colombia ($6,110)
Honduras ($1,970)
Costa Rica ($7,660)
Nicaragua ($1,170)
Cubab
Paraguay ($2,970)
Dominica ($7,090)
Dominican Republic ($5,240)
Ecuador ($4,140)
Grenada ($7,220)
Jamaica ($4,980)
Mexico ($9,240)
Panama ($7,910)
Peru ($5,500)
St. Lucia ($6,680)
St. Vincent and the
Grenadines ($6,100)
Surinameb
Uruguay ($11,860)
Venezuela ($11,920)
Source: World Development Indicators, The World Bank Databank, http://databank.worldbank.org/data/
home.aspx.
Notes: The economies are classified based on GNI per capita.
a. Estimated as high income, World Bank.
b. Estimated as upper middle income, World Bank.
c. Estimated as lower middle income, World Bank.

Table 4. Poverty Trends in Selected Countries
Latin American (18Countries):
Persons Living in Poverty and Indigence,
Poverty/ Indigence
Poverty/ Indigence
Around 2010 and 2011
Around 2010
Around 2011
Argentinaa 8.6
2.8
5.7/
1.9
Bolivia 42.4
22.4
na
Brazil 24.9
7.0
20.9/
6.1
Chile 11.5
3.6
11.0/
3.1
Columbiab
37.3
12.3
34.2/ 10.7
Costa Ricac 18.5
6.8
18.8/
7.3
Dominican Republic
41.4
20.9
42.2/ 20.3
Ecuadora 37.1
14.2
32.4/
10.1
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Latin America and the Caribbean: Fact Sheet on Economic and Social Indicators

Latin American (18Countries):
Persons Living in Poverty and Indigence,
Poverty/ Indigence
Poverty/ Indigence
Around 2010 and 2011
Around 2010
Around 2011
El Salvador
46.6
16.7
na
Guatemala 54.8
29.1
na
Honduras 67.4
42.8
na
Mexico 36.3
13.3
na
Nicaragua 58.3
29.5
na
Panama
25.8
12.6
25.3/ 12.4
Paraguay 54.8
30.7
49.6/
28.0
Perud 31.3
9.8
27.8/
6.3
Uruguaya 8.6
1.4
6.7/
1.1
Venezuela 27.8
10.7
29.5/
11.7
Source: UN Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC)
Notes: ECLAC, on the basis of special tabulations of data from household surveys conducted in the respective
countries.
a. Urban areas.
b. Figures from the National Administrative Department of Statistics (DANE) of Columbia.
c. Figures for 2010 and 2011 are not strictly comparable with data for previous years.
d. Figures from the National Institute of Statistics and Informatics (INEI) of Peru.

Author Contact Information

Dindi R. Robinson
Barbara Salazar Torreon
Information Research Specialist
Information Research Specialist
drrobinson@crs.loc.gov, 7-9174
btorreon@crs.loc.gov, 7-8996


Acknowledgments
This report was previously authored by Julissa Gomez-Granger.
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