Panama: Economy grows at quickest pace on record in Q2
According to a preliminary estimate, economic activity rebounded in the second quarter, increasing 40.4% year-on-year and contrasting the 8.5% contraction recorded in the first quarter. That said, the reading was heavily flattered by a low base effect, and activity was still below 2019’s pre-pandemic levels.
The industrial sector spearheaded the upturn, growing 162.3% in Q2 (Q1: +11.8% yoy), as ambitious public infrastructure spending boosted the construction subsector and the new copper mine drove up mining and quarrying production. In addition, the services sector grew 19.4% annually in the second quarter, contrasting the first quarter’s 9.7% contraction, amid strong wholesale and retail sales and robust transportation activity. Meanwhile, the agricultural sector rebounded in Q2, growing 7.3% and contrasting the 0.9% decrease recorded in the previous quarter.
Moving onto Q3, the economy should have continued to recover at a healthy, albeit slower, pace. The key construction subsector likely continued to benefit from infrastructure projects, but will have been impacted by the fading base effect. Meanwhile, mining activity likely followed a similar pattern, as copper output at the Cobre Panama mine began to increase during the third quarter of last year.