Uruguay

The IMF revised Uruguay's 2026 GDP growth forecast downward from 2.4% to 1.8%, attributing the cut to global inflationary pressures stemming from the Middle East conflict; the Fund projects a recovery to 2.6% in 2027. Private analysts surveyed by the Central Bank of Uruguay (BCU) are more cautious, with a median growth expectation of 1.3% for 2026.

MercoPress · 2026-04-15

Uruguay posted a goods export record of USD 13.49 billion in 2025, the highest in a decade and a 5% increase over 2024, according to the Uruguay XXI Foreign Trade Annual Report 2025. The Orsi administration's 2025–2029 budget targets a gradual fiscal deficit reduction to 2.6% of GDP by 2029, anchored by a new net-debt ceiling rule set at 65% of GDP, with net public debt standing at 59.5% of GDP as of Q2 2025.

Rio Times Online (citing Uruguay XXI and Itaú Uruguay) · 2026-04-15

The Central Bank of Uruguay cut its benchmark interest rate by 50 basis points to 7.5% in December 2025, signalling a gradual pivot from restrictive to neutral monetary policy. Uruguay's 2025 inflation of approximately 4–5.4% remains among the lowest in the region, preserving real purchasing power and supporting the country's investment-grade sovereign credit profile.

Rio Times Online (citing BCU and Junction Policy) · 2026-04-15

Uruguay XXI's 'Uruguay Value Proposition' event convened government authorities and business leaders who highlighted legal certainty, institutional stability, and long-term policy continuity as primary competitive advantages for market entrants. The agency's Competitive Intelligence Department also released a new departmental export profile report, providing granular sub-national data relevant to site-selection and supply-chain decisions.

Uruguay XXI · 2026-05-22

Uruguay permits 100% foreign ownership across all sectors with no capital repatriation restrictions, and foreign investors receive equivalent treatment to domestic investors under the investment promotion framework. The country ranks 29th out of 184 on the Index of Economic Freedom and 62nd on the Global Innovation Index 2024, positioning it as the most open and institutionally robust economy in the Southern Cone for market-entry purposes.

Lloyd's Bank Trade / International Trade Portal · 2026-05-22

The Punta del Este–Maldonado real estate market recorded sales exceeding USD 1.17 billion in the first half of 2025, with luxury segments appreciating over 12% in 2024 and approximately 15,000 new permanent residents added post-pandemic. Montevideo's residential market is more measured, with gross rental yields of 4.97–6% and forecast annual appreciation of 3–5% through 2027, indicating differentiated risk-return profiles across sub-markets.

Rio Times Online (citing Global Property Guide and The Latin Investor) · 2026-04-15