Investment in Ecuador

Ecuador - Investment
Contraction in GDP softens but remains pronounced in Q3
Economic activity contracted at a softer pace of 8.8% on an annual basis in Q3, on the heels of Q2’s record-breaking GDP plunge of 12.4%, due to the double shock of the Covid-19 pandemic and weak oil prices. Nonetheless, Q3’s result was the second biggest decline since at least the year 2000 and marked the fifth consecutive quarter of contracting output.
Q3’s more moderate decline was largely attributed to the external sector, amid improved but still-downbeat domestic activity. Consumer spending fell at a less pronounced pace of 8.9% in annual terms, softening from Q2’s 11.1% dive, as the easing of pandemic-related restrictions rekindled consumption. Similarly, fixed investment dropped a milder, albeit still marked, 14.8% (Q2: -17.6 yoy), while government spending contracted 7.4% (Q2: -8.9% yoy).
On the external front, exports of goods and services rebounded 0.3% year-on-year, swinging from Q2’s 15.7% collapse, supported by recovering foreign demand. However, imports continued to drop in Q3, falling 13.1%, albeit softening from Q2’s 19.2% contraction.
On a seasonally-adjusted quarter-on-quarter basis, economic activity rebounded solidly, growing 4.5%, after shrinking 10.6% in the prior quarter.
The economy is expected to rebound this year, following 2020’s collapse owing to the dual shock of the pandemic and low oil prices. However, downside risks, particularly the unpredictable course of the pandemic and potentially slow deployment of vaccines, as well as elevated policy uncertainty amid February’s presidential elections, cloud the outlook.
LatinFocus Consensus Forecast panelists project GDP to grow 3.6% in 2021. For 2022, the panel sees GDP expanding 2.2%.
Ecuador - Investment Data
2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Investment (annual variation in %) | -6.2 | -8.9 | 5.3 | 2.0 | -3.4 |
Ecuador Investment Chart

Source: Central Bank of Ecuador and FocusEconomics calculations.
Ecuador Facts
Value | Change | Date | |
---|---|---|---|
Exchange Rate | 25,000 | 0.0 % | Dec 31 |
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Economic News
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Ecuador: Economic activity gains momentum at the end of 2020
February 16, 2021
Economic activity rose 3.9% in year-on-year terms in December 2020, picking up from the 0.6% uptick logged in the previous month. On a month-on-month basis, economic activity increased 1.6% in December, slightly above November’s 1.5% climb.
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Ecuador: Consumer prices drop annually for the eighth month running in January
February 4, 2021
Consumer prices rose 0.12% over the previous month in January, following the 0.03% slip recorded in December 2020 and marking the first increase in nine months.
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Ecuador: February elections signal choice between policy continuity or interventionist approach
January 19, 2021
On 7 February, Ecuadoreans will head to the polls to elect a new president and members of the 137-seat National Assembly.
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Ecuador: Economic activity softens in November
January 15, 2021
Economic activity ticked up 0.6% in year-on-year terms in November, easing notably from October’s 5.8% jump which had marked the strongest increase in two years.
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Ecuador: Consumer prices drop again in annual terms in December
January 7, 2021
Consumer prices dropped 0.03% over the previous month in December, following November’s 0.01% decline.