Latin America and the Caribbean: Impact of COVID-19
Updated December 6, 2022
Latin America and the Caribbean: Impact of COVID-19
Beginning in 2020, the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-
Table 1. COVID-19 Deaths, Mortality Rates, and
19) pandemic had widespread economic, social, and
Vaccinations in Latin American & Caribbean
political effects on Latin America and the Caribbean
(countries with more than 1,000 deaths, as of Dec. 2, 2022)
(LAC). From the start of the pandemic through early
December 2022, the region recorded 1.74 million deaths
Fully
(over 26% of deaths worldwide). Brazil, Mexico, Peru,
Deaths per
Vaccinated
Colombia, and Argentina had the region’s highest numbers
Country
Deaths
100,000
(percentage)
of deaths. Looking at deaths per 100,000 people, Peru had
the highest recorded COVID-19 mortality rate in the region,
Brazil
689,945
324.59
76.91
followed by Chile, Brazil, Trinidad and Tobago, Argentina,
Mexico
330,525
258.64
62.56
Colombia, and Paraguay. Experts have expressed concerns
that countries worldwide, including in LAC, have
Peru
217,414
659.39
80.99
significantly undercounted deaths for various reasons,
Colombia
141,881
278.84
69.60
suggesting that COVID-19 deaths in the region could be
significantly higher.
Argentina
130,025
287.69
82.28
Chile
62,484
326.86
91.29
When the pandemic first surged in the region in 2020, Pan
American Health Organization (PAHO) Director Dr.
Ecuador
35,940
203.71
78.55
Carissa Etienne expressed concern about the poor and other
Bolivia
22,248
190.59
49.98
vulnerable groups at greatest risk. In 2021, the PAHO
director stated that the virus had deepened inequities that
Guatemala
19,952
111.37
48.33
had long divided the region and exposed vulnerabilities in
Paraguay
19,621
275.09
33.93
the region’s health, economic, and social sectors.
Honduras
11,051
111.57
48.82
In October 2022, PAHO’s director maintained that trends
showed a potential transition of the pandemic from an acute
Costa Rica
9,038
177.42
87.77
phase into a phase of sustained control. She reported that
Cuba
8,530
75.31
80.18
over 70% of the population of LAC had been fully
vaccinated but noted several countries and territories had
Panama
8,526
197.60
70.84
yet to reach the 40% mark. As of early December 2022,
Uruguay
7,537
216.97
82.34
Grenada, Haiti, Jamaica, St. Lucia, and St. Vincent and the
Grenadines had fully vaccinated less than 40% of their
Venezuela
5,828
20.50
50.24
populations. Of these, the most extreme situation is in Haiti,
Dom. Rep.
4,384
40.41
54.92
with just over 2% of its population fully vaccinated.
Trinidad &
4,267
304.90
66.27
PAHO has helped countries with their vaccination
Tobago
campaigns and has facilitated access to vaccines through
El Salvador
4,230
65.22
50.81
the COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access (COVAX) Facility,
a mechanism developed by global health organizations to
Jamaica
3,399
114.79
23.11
facilitate equitable distribution of COVID-19 vaccines; 22
Suriname
1,393
237.46
40.50
countries in the region have signed agreements to access
vaccines through the facility. In addition, 10 countries in
Guyana
1,285
163.37
46.25
the region—Bolivia, Dominica, El Salvador, Grenada,
Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Nicaragua, St. Lucia, and St.
Total LAC
1,743,723
—
—
Vincent and the Grenadines—benefit from the COVID-19
Sources: Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Coronavirus
Vaccines Advance Market Commitment (COVAX AMC),
Resource Center, “Mortality Analyses,” December 2, 2022, at
launched by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, to provide donor-
https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/data/mortality. Vaccination statistics are
funded vaccines for low- and middle-income economies.
from Josh Holder, “Tracking Coronavirus Vaccinations Around the
World,” New York Times, updated December 2, 2022, at
As of early December 2022, PAHO reported that over 151
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2021/world/covid-vaccinations-
million doses had been delivered through COVAX. LAC
tracker.html.
countries also have acquired COVID-19 vaccines from
other sources, including China, Russia, and India. The
Note: Peru revised its official COVID-19 death toll in May 2021 to
United States significantly ramped up vaccine donations to
account for excess deaths attributed to COVID-19 not previously
the region beginning in 2021 (see below).
counted, which tripled the country’s reported death toll.
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Latin America and the Caribbean: Impact of COVID-19
In terms of COVID-19 vaccine manufacturing in Latin
opportunities. The pandemic exacerbated these factors,
America, Cuba’s biotech sector has developed and
contributing to increased protests in LAC since late 2020.
manufactured three vaccines, two Brazilian companies and
a partnership between Argentine and Mexican companies
The pandemic-induced economic downturn also contributed
have manufactured some vaccines, and two companies from
to an anti-incumbent electoral trend in the region as
Brazil and Chile announced plans to manufacture vaccines.
governing leaders and parties seeking reelection had to
PAHO announced a program in 2021 to boost COVID-19
contend with increased food and fuel prices and other
vaccine manufacturing in the region and subsequently
economic challenges. This resulted in candidates and
selected biomedical centers in Argentina and Brazil to
parties from the political left and center-left winning all but
produce the vaccines.
two elections for head of government in the region in 2021
and 2022.
Economic and Social Impacts
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) reported a 7.0%
U.S. Policy Considerations
economic contraction for Latin America and the Caribbean
Congress has provided some $17 billion in international
in 2020. Caribbean nations that depend on tourism had deep
affairs funding (through two FY2020 supplemental
economic recessions, many with gross domestic product
appropriations measures, P.L. 116-123 and P.L. 116-136;
declines of 10% of more in 2020. In 2021, many of the
the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, P.L. 116-260;
region’s economies began some recovery, with the IMF
and the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, P.L. 117-2) to
estimating a regional growth rate of 6.9% for LAC and
help countries worldwide respond to COVID-19. The
forecasting 3.5% regional growth in 2022. For 2023, the
funding supports global health interventions, humanitarian
IMF projects that regional growth in Latin America and the
assistance, and contributions to multilateral efforts. For
Caribbean will slow to 1.7%, about one percentage point
example, P.L. 116-260 included $4 billion as a contribution
behind projected world growth. Major economic challenges
to Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, which supports COVAX
to the regional and world economies include the lingering
AMC and coordinates implementation of the COVAX
effects of the COVID-19 pandemic along with a global
Facility, both of which benefit LAC countries.
increase in energy and food prices due to Russia’s invasion
of Ukraine, and China’s economic slowdown.
Through mid-2022, the U.S. Agency for International
Development had provided more than $539 million for the
The regional economic contraction beginning in 2020
COVID-19 response in the region. This funding is in
increased poverty and exacerbated income inequality. Latin
addition to annual foreign assistance to the region funded
America already was the most unequal region in the world
through the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and
in terms of income. The U.N. Economic Commission for
Related Programs appropriations measure, some of which
Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) estimated that
has been used to support pandemic recovery and support.
an additional 17 million people in Latin America moved
into poverty in 2020, with poverty rising to 32.8% from
As of early December 2022, the United States had donated
30.4% in 2019. With economic growth rates increasing in
over 70 million COVID-19 vaccine doses to 29 Latin
2021 and 2022, ECLAC reported that poverty declined
American and Caribbean countries, both bilaterally and
slightly to 32.3% in 2021 and is forecast to decline to
through the COVAX Facility, according to the State
32.1% in 2022. Nevertheless, according to ECLAC,
Department (at https://www.state.gov/covid-19-recovery/
extreme poverty rose to 13.1% in 2020 and after a slight dip
vaccine-deliveries/). Top recipients include Mexico (16.9
in 2021 is forecast to return to 13.1% in 2022.
million); Guatemala (8.5 million); Colombia (7 million);
Honduras (5.9 million); Brazil (5.2 million); Bolivia (5.1
Many countries implemented relief programs to help
million); Argentina (3.5 million); El Salvador (3.2 million);
protect their economies and vulnerable populations, and
Ecuador, Paraguay, and Peru (2 million each); Nicaragua
international financial institutions increased lending to
(1.6 million); Costa Rica (1.5 million); Haiti (1.1 million);
countries throughout LAC to help countries respond to the
Trinidad and Tobago (0.7 million); Jamaica (0. 6 million
pandemic. ECLAC noted that government transfers to
and Panama and Uruguay (0.5 million each). Eleven
vulnerable populations helped partially offset the fall in
smaller Caribbean Community (CARICOM) countries
income in the region and that poverty would have reached
received a total of 2.1 million vaccine doses.
higher levels without such transfers.
At the June 2022 Summit of the Americas, the Biden
Political Impact
Administration launched a partnership with PAHO to
Even before the pandemic, public satisfaction with the
establish an Americas Health Corps that would provide
quality of democracy in several Latin American and
training to 500,000 public health, health science, and
Caribbean countries was eroding. Several broad political
medical professionals throughout LAC. The initiative is
and economic factors drove the decline and help explain the
aimed at supporting implementation of an action plan
eruption of social protests in the region in 2019. Political
agreed to at the summit focused on addressing the effects of
factors include an increase in authoritarian practices, weak
the COVID-19 pandemic and strengthening the region’s
democratic institutions, politicized judicial systems,
health systems to address future disease outbreaks.
corruption, and high levels of crime and violence.
Economic factors include stagnant or declining growth;
Mark P. Sullivan, Specialist in Latin American Affairs
high levels of inequality and poverty; and inadequate public
Peter J. Meyer, Specialist in Latin American and Canadian
services, social safety net programs, and advancement
Affairs
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Latin America and the Caribbean: Impact of COVID-19
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