Colombia: GDP growth records slowest increase since Q1 2021 in the first quarter, but beats market expectations
GDP growth slowed markedly to 8.2% year on year in the first quarter, from 10.8% in the fourth quarter of last year. Q1’s reading marked the worst reading since Q1 2021. However, the print beat market expectations.
Household spending increased 12.2% in the first quarter, which was below the fourth quarter’s 13.6% expansion. Public spending improved to a 8.6% expansion in Q1 (Q4 2021: +7.9% yoy). Meanwhile, fixed investment growth sped up to 11.0% in Q1, from the 7.8% increase logged in the previous quarter.
On the external front, exports of goods and services growth fell to 16.7% in Q1, marking the worst result since Q2 2021 (Q4 2021: +35.6% yoy). Conversely, imports of goods and services growth picked up to 38.6% in Q1 (Q4 2021: +36.9% yoy).
On a seasonally adjusted quarter-on-quarter basis, economic growth slowed markedly to 1.0% in Q1, compared to the previous period’s 2.5% expansion. Q1’s reading marked the worst reading since Q2 2021.