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The
Economic Freedom
Network

 

Ecuador

Total Government Expenditures

Economic Freedom Rating

As a Percent of GDP

ecuador.gif (3181 bytes)

No Data

Part 1: The Economic Freedom Ratings for the Components and Various Area and

Summary Indexes: 1975, 1980, 1985, 1990 and 1995.

(The numbers in parentheses indicate the actual values for the components.)

Components of Economic Freedom

1975

1980

1985

1990

1995

I. Money and Inflation

4.3

5.6

4.6

4.3

4.6

(a) Annual Money Growth (last 5 yrs.)

1

(24.8)

1

(23.5)

1

(23.0)

1

(40.0)

1

(34.5)

(b) Inflation Variablity (last 5 yrs.)

1

(14.6)

5

(4.3)

2

(10.2)

1

(16.7)

2

(10.6)

(c) Ownership of Foreign Currency

10

10

10

10

10

(d) Maint. of Bank Account Abroad

10

10

10

10

10

II. Government Operation

5.5

5.5

4.3

3.5

4.4

(a) Gov't Consump. (% of Total Consump.)

5

(18.2)

5

(19.6)

7

(15.1)

9

(11.2)

7

(15.9)

(b) Government Enterprises

6

6

4

4

4

(c) Price Controls

-

-

-

0

0

(d) Entry Into Business

-

-

-

-

7.5

(e) Legal System

-

-

-

-

2.5

(f) Avoidance of Neg. Interest Rates

-

-

0

0

6

III. Takings

3.9

4.7

3.7

5.5

7.8

(a) Transfers and Subsidies (% of GDP)

-

6

(4.9)

7

(4.0)

8

(2.3)

9

(1.5)

(b) Marginal Tax Rates (Top Rate)

5

(50)

5

(50)

2

(58)

5

(40)

9

(25)

(c) Conscription

0

0

0

0

0

IV. International Sector

3.6

3.0

3.1

3.0

5.0

(a) Taxes on International Trade (Avg.)

2

(8.9)

3

(7.2)

5

(6.2)

6

(4.0)

7

(3.5)

(b) Black Market Exchange Rates (Prem.)

6

(5)

4

(13)

2

(48)

0

(10)

4

(12)

(c) Size of Trade Sector (% of GDP)

5

(29.5)

3

(25.3)

3

(23.8)

4

(30.1)

3

(27.8)

(d) Capital Transactions with Foreigners

2

2

2

2

5

Economic Freedom Rating

4.2

4.5

3.8

4.8

5.5

Ranking of Country

44

37

69

43

55

 

Part 2: Recent Economic Indicators:

Population 1996:

11.7

Real Per Capita GDP

:

1995=

$4,055

(in millions)

(in 1995 U.S. dollars)

Annual Rate of Change (1985-96):

2.3%

Avg. Growth Rate:

1980-90=

-0.3%

1990-95=

1.1%

Economic Indicators:*

1988

1989

1990

1991

1992

1993

1994

1995

1996

Change in Real GDP: Aggregate

10.5

0.3

3.0

5.0

3.6

2.0

4.4

2.3

-

: Per Capita

8.2

-2.0

0.7

2.7

1.3

-0.3

2.1

0.0

-

Inflation Rate (CPI)

58.2

75.6

48.5

48.7

54.6

45.0

27.3

22.9

22.8

Change in Money Supply: (M1)

52.7

43.8

59.0

46.7

48.4

63.7

32.5

2.7

-

: (M2)

56.4

38.0

52.6

54.1

52.2

63.0

51.6

36.7

-

Investment/GDP Ratio

20.7

17.5

22.2

21.2

20.2

18.9

18.6

20.9

-

Size of Trade Sector (% of GDP)

29.5

30.3

30.1

30.6

29.6

25.9

25.2

27.8

-

Total Gov't Exp./GDP Ratio

Central Government Budget

Deficit (-) or Surplus (+)

As a Percent of GDP

-

+1.9

+1.8

+1.5

+2.3

+2.6

+0.3

-1.2

-

Unemployment Rate

-

-

6.1

8.5

8.9

8.3

7.1

-

-

* The figures in this table are in percent form.

In 1995 Ecuador ranked 55th among the 115 countries of our study. It has persistently ranked in the middle group during each of our rating years.

On the positive side, government consumption and income transfers are both relatively low. Taxes are also low and the current top marginal tax rate (25%) is substantially lower than the 58% rate of the mid-1980s. Citizens are permitted to maintain foreign currency bank accounts which provides them with some measure of protection against the inflation policies that have historically beset this economy.

Excessive regulation and a weak institutional structure are the major weaknesses of this economy. Regulations control both exchange rates and interest rates, restrict the mobility of capital, and often limit entry and increase the cost of doing business. The central bank is controlled by the politicians and the monetary institutions do little to breed confidence that price stability is an important goal. The legal institutions are also highly politicized and provide government officials with discretionary authority, which inevitably leads to both discrimination and corruption.

This economy has stagnated for two decades. Perhaps the poor performance will soon create an environment that will facilitate needed institutional reforms and movement toward economic freedom.

Source: United Nations, Statistical Yearbook, 1992 (New York 1994).





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