IMF estimates Brazil economy to fall 5.3% this year

Due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has estimated a 5.3 percent reduction in the Brazilian gross domestic product (GDP) this year. The projection was published today (Apr. 14) by the IMF in its World Economic Outlook.

The report released in January, before the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, the IMF had stated Brazil’s economy was likely to grow 2,2 percent this year.

For 2021, a recovery is likely, with a GDP growth of 2.9 percent. The previous estimate for next year was 2.3 percent.

The forecast for Latin America and the Caribbean is a 5.2 percent slide in the economy this year, and a growth of 3.4 percent in 2021.

“Effective policies are essential to forestall worse outcomes. Necessary measures to reduce contagion and protect lives will take a short-term toll on economic activity but should also be seen as an important investment in long-term human and economic health. The immediate priority is to contain the fallout from the COVID-19 outbreak, especially by increasing health care expenditures to strengthen the capacity and resources of the health care sector while adopting measures that reduce contagion,” the report reads.