Guatemala

Recovery to be weak

In spite of the global downturn, preliminary figures show that the economy recorded a modest expansion last year, thus avoiding an outright recession. That said, economic growth is expected to remain subdued this year. The Central Bank expects growth for the current year to reach only between 1.2% and 2.1%. Amid the decline in economic activity, inflation closed the year in negative territory for the first time in decades, but it is expected to return to healthier levels this year.