Balance Preliminar de la Economía de América Latina Y El Caribe

This annual economic survey shows that, in 2002, the Latin American and Caribbean region recorded a half per cent decline in economic activity, leading to a fall in per capita gross domestic product below 1997 levels. The average regional growth rate was partly influenced by the performance of the South American economies, especially those of Argentina, Uruguay and Venezuela. The regional unemployment rate reached an all-time high of 9.1 per cent, with a rise in poverty levels across the region to 7 million people.