LatinNews Daily - 19 May 2026

*Brazil’s central bank (BCB) has released the latest figures for its economic activity index (IBC-Br), which is often used as a proxy to anticipate GDP figures, showing a monthly decrease of 0.7% in March. Regarding economic sectors, the agricultural and industrial sectors both posted decreases of 0.2%, while services registered a greater monthly decline of 0.8%. Despite the monthly drop in March, the accumulated activity for the 12 months through March 2026 was up 1.8% compared to the preceding 12-month period. According to a forecast published yesterday by the government’s economic policy secretariat (SPE), Brazil’s annual GDP growth for this year is projected at 2.3%, while private sector economists have less optimistic forecasts. The latest projections of market analysts consulted each week for the central bank (BCB)’s Focus bulletin show an annual growth forecast of 1.85% for 2026.

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