South American Economies 5-13-24

South American economies include 33 countries with a total Nominal GDP of $4.04 trillion. The combined Per Capita GDP in $9,240. The total population of South America is 442,466,433. 45% of South Americans have European ancestry. The land area of South America is 6.888 million square miles. North America is 9.540 million square miles. Both are high in arable land. South America is food self-sufficient. 

South America is one of the most urbanized regions of the world, the population of some countries remains highly rural. While countries like Chile, Argentina, and Uruguay are close to 90 percent urbanized, much of Central America, as well as Ecuador, Paraguay, and Bolivia, are only about 50-60 percent urban.

A few South American countries have abysmally low wages and include Haiti ($1200/yr), Cuba ($1248/yr) and Venezuela ($1740/yr).

South America has 150 million (34%) citizens have clean water shortages and 400 million (90%) lack sewer systems. Water borne pathogens are the problem. 20% of the water is treated. 20 million households have septic tanks.

Brazil has the largest Nominal GDP at $2.13 billion and largest Population at 212 million. Mexico has the next largest Nominal GDP at $1.8 billion and a population of 127 million. Inflation 2021-2024 is 43.96%.

Country $Nominal GDP  $PerCapGDP  $Wage/yr    Population      Debt to GDP

Brazil            2.126809T       10,412           5.076        212,457,615      84.67%

Mexico         1.811468T       13,804            8,700       127,792,286       53.09%

Argentina       621.833B       13,297            5,100        45,376,763      154.54%

Colombia       363.835B         6,976            4,140        52,882,000        52.52%

Chile              344.400B       17,254            7,308        19,458,310        39.41%

Peru              264.636B         7,669             4.476        32,325,948        32.09%

Dominican R 120.629B       11,249             3,367        11,332,972        57.06%

Ecuador        118.686B         6,500             6,168        18,516,500        54.67%

Guatemala    102.765B         5,407             5,892        16,858,333         27.84%

Cuba             100.000B         7,842            1,248         11,194,449       119.00%

Venezuela      92.210B         3,474             1,740         28,435,923       260.00%

Costa Rica     85.590B         16,213          10,164          5,111,238          61.12%

Panama         82.348B         18,494            9,396          4,278,500          52.19%

Uruguay         76,244B         21,378         13,464           3,930,512          60.33%

Bolivia            46.796B           3,858           4,764         12,400,000          83.63%

Paraguay       44.142B           5,843           3,984           7,252,372          40.34%

El Salvador    35.339B           5,558           5,100           6,765,753           84.90%

Honduras       33.992B           3,245          2,748          10,593,798           44.50%

Trinadad        27.887B         19,622        18,000            1,534,937           54.34%

Haiti               25.986B           2,125          1,200          11,724,763          19.63%

Jamaica        18.761B            6,831          7,872            2,825,544          71.75%

Nicaragua     17.353B            2,599          3,156            6,527,691          41.34%

Guyana         16.329B         20,565           5,160              813,834           27.04%

Bahamas      13.876B         34,371         22,368              412,623           83.79%

Barbados        6.220B         21,443         40,416              281,995         114.84%

Suriname        3.539B           5,667           3,276              623,236           91.78%

Belize             3.218B           7,142           5,688               410,825           66.16%

Saint Lucia     2.469B         13,572         34,536               180,251           74.33%

Antigua          1.949B         19,068         36,000                 94,298            80.61%

Grenada        1.306B          11,437        54,840               126,183            97.00%

St Kitts          1.069B          18,159        13,200                 57,755             54.35%

St Vincent     1,039B            9,360          9,108                103,698           85.78%

Dominica        697M            9,356           5,184                  73,040            97.22%

Total           4.04Trillion       9.240         20,400          442,466,433

US Territory

Puerto Rico  117.515B       37,093       26,520                  3,260,314

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Latin_American_and_Caribbean_countries_by_GDP_(nominal)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_American_countries_by_monthly_average_wage

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Latin_American_countries_by_population

Higher incomes are reported in Tourist destination countries and territories.

Inflation in Venezuela is 210%, Cuba 166.75% and Argentina 72.37%.

Comments

South American countries must first rid themselves of the Drug Cartels and Communist governments in order to attract investment needed to let these countries improve conditions for their citizens. We’ve watched South American countries flounder since the 1950s. Their populations have been prone to elect politicians who promise free stuff. Their governments teeter on the brink of Communism or drug cartel infestation or corruption or other misfortunes and investment dries up. Those countries who are more developed need to break this chain. The road to national prosperity is paved with intergenerational family wealth that requires home, farm and business ownership.

The US helped irradicate the drug cartels from Colombia and Panama and will probably help irradicate them from Mexico.  Brazil, Mexico and others should form a commission to ensure that elections in all South American countries are honest and drug cartels are not allowed to return.

Education in South America should offer courses on its political history and outcomes to remind students to avoid the free stuff scam. Guest speakers from countries who have lived through their problems and can witness to its causes and remedies should be included.

Norb Leahy, Dunwoody GA Tea Party Leader