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Tables and Figures for: Development in the Americas 2016

By Department of Research and Chief Economist (VPS/RES/RES)

This dataset includes all tables and figures from the 2016 edition of Development in the Americas, focusing on how savings drive economic growth in Latin America. While traditional views emphasize saving for emergencies, this report reframes savings as the foundation for long-term prosperity.

In Latin America, saving is essential not only for protecting against financial shocks but also for investing in the future.
- Households save to access education and healthcare, improve well-being, and secure retirement.
- Businesses save to grow, innovate, and create better jobs.
- Governments save to fund infrastructure, deliver essential public services, and build inclusive economies.

The evidence presented in this dataset illustrates how saving behaviors—across individuals, firms, and states—fuel sustained economic growth and resilience throughout the region. It shows that Latin American countries must build strong savings cultures not just to survive downturns but to fully capitalize on periods of growth and opportunity.

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Metadata & use

Identifier https://doi.org/10.60966/9bdjiwtb
License Creative Commons Attribution–NonCommercial–NoDerivs 3.0 IGO
Citation

Cavallo, Eduardo A., et al. (2016). Tables and Figures for: Development in the Americas 2016. IDB Open Data. https://doi.org/10.60966/9bdjiwtb
Published date 2016-06-01
Modified date 2026-07-15
Tags/Keywords Corporate Saving · Dependency Rate · Foreign Saving · Household Saving · National Saving · Saving Rate
Language
  1. English
Temporal coverage 1980-2014
Country
Argentina
Bahamas
Barbados
Belize
Bolivia
Brazil
Chile
Colombia
Costa Rica
Dominican Republic
Ecuador
El Salvador
Guatemala
Guyana
Haiti
Honduras
Jamaica
Mexico
Nicaragua
Panama
Paraguay
Peru
Suriname
Trinidad & Tobago
Uruguay
Venezuela
Region Latin America and the Caribbean
Publisher
Inter-American Development Bank
Author
Cavallo, Eduardo A.
Serebrisky, Tomás
Frisancho, Verónica
Karver, Jonathan
Powell, Andrew
Margot, Diego
Suárez-Alemán, Ancor
Fernández-Arias, Eduardo
Marzani, Matías
Berstein, Solange
Bosch, Mariano
Oliveri, María Laura
Izquierdo, Alejandro
Busso, Matías
Fernandez, Andres
Rud, Juan Pablo
Data collection type Observational Data
Data structure Semistructured Data
Data notes

What are the main drivers of economic growth in Latin American countries?

The evidence links saving → investment → firm productivity.
- Chapter 4 reports country averages for investment, national saving, and foreign saving (IMF-IFS), showing that a mix of domestic saving and external resources finances investment.
- Chapter 10 shows firms with better access to finance and higher productivity invest more. In the LAC sample, the average share of fixed assets financed with internal funds ≈ 0.579, indicating heavy reliance on internal cash flow (sheet f10.5). Smaller firms are more constrained: credit line incidence rises with firm size while internal financing falls (sheet f10.7).

What are the challenges hindering sustained economic growth in Latin America?

Two constraints appear repeatedly in the firm- and finance-focused tables:
- Limited external finance for small firms (lower share with a credit line in f10.7).
- High dependence on internal funds for investment (mean ≈ 57.9% in f10.5), which can cap scalable investment when profits are low.

What are the recommendations for fostering inclusive economic growth in Latin America?

The data are descriptive, but they point to actionable levers to test:
- Broaden access to affordable credit (narrow the small-firm finance gap shown in f10.7).
- Channel saving into productive investment (Chapter 4’s investment/saving decomposition).
- Strengthen pension system sustainability (Chapter 7’s spending/revenue balance and long-run projections) to support long-horizon saving and domestic capital.

What are the key economic indicators for measuring Latin American growth?

  • Gross National Saving (GNS) by region and over time (Chapter 1, f2.1, f2.2).
  • Investment vs. national and foreign saving by country (Chapter 4, f4.2).
  • Self-financing ratios / internal financing of fixed assets (Chapter 10, f10.5).
  • Access to credit by firm size (Chapter 10, f10.7).
  • Pension spending, revenues, and projections (Chapter 7, f7.1–f7.6).

What are the historical trends in Latin American economic development?

The files provide historical saving and investment series (1980–2014) at regional and country levels (Ch. 1 f2.1; Ch. 4 f4.1), but not a complete economic-development narrative.

Are there any headline regional numbers I can reproduce quickly?

  • GNS averages (1980–2014): LAC ≈ 17.5%, Emerging Asia ≈ 33.7% (f2.1).
  • Investment financing (country-averaged): Investment ≈ 20.26% of GDP, National saving ≈ 17.15%, Foreign saving ≈ 3.74% (f4.2).
  • Firm finance by size (LAC averages): credit line ≈45% (5 or less) → ≈72% (101+); internal financing of assets ≈68% (5 or less) → ≈57% (101+) (f10.7).

What comparisons are valid?

  • Regional time-series comparisons (e.g., LAC vs. Emerging Asia GNS).
  • Cross-country investment/saving decompositions (IMF-IFS in f4.2).
  • Firm-size finance gaps within and across countries (f10.7).

What are some caveats related to the data?

  • Some sheets are figure-ready matrices; variable names may be abbreviated. Verify units (usually % of GDP or shares).
  • Country lists differ by sheet; align samples before averaging.
  • Projections (Chapter 7) depend on coverage/generosity assumptions; cite scenario labels.

Dataset files

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