Ecuador
Everything Palanor holds about Ecuador, in one place: 146 public signals, what its economy runs on, how often America’s largest companies name it, the news that names it, and Country Posture. Every figure is computed from stored readings and carries its source and date.
South AmericaAmericasLatin America & Caribbean
The latest read
- GDP in current U.S. dollars: $130.3 billion (2025); record high since 1960; 1y +5.3%.
- Real GDP growth: 3.73% (2025); 48th percentile since 1961; highest since 2022; 1y +5.67 pts.
- Consumer price inflation: 0.71% (2025); 8th percentile since 1960; lowest since 2021; 1y −0.84 pts.
- Unemployment: 3.31% (2025); 10th percentile since 1991; lowest since 2013; 1y −0.14 pts.
- Household consumption, share of GDP: 62.7% of GDP (2025); 18th percentile since 1990; lowest since 2014; 1y −0.83 pts.
- Net exports, share of GDP: 3.52% of GDP (2025); 82nd percentile since 1990; 1y −0.03 pts.
Country Posture
What Ecuador’s economy is doing
Momentum
2025Inputs only. Did not pass the pre-registered back-test: 1996–2009: AUC 0.590 below 0.60; AUC 0.590 below the single-input baseline (0.624); 2010–2022: AUC 0.595 below 0.60; AUC 0.595 below the single-input baseline (0.641).
Inputs
| Real GDP growth | 3.7 |
| Growth against its three-year average | 1.8 |
| Change in unemployment | -0.1 |
| Change in the employment rate | 0.1 |
| Export volume growth | — |
| OECD leading indicator | — |
Resilience
202355Moderate buffers
0 = thin buffers · 100 = deep buffers
Moved most by reserves, months of imports (down) and governance (wgi mean) (down) since the year before.
Inputs
| Interest as a share of revenue (2022) | 4.7 | 56 |
| Budget balance (2022) | -0.0 | 83 |
| Reserves, months of imports | 1.4 | 22 |
| Current account | 2.0 | 76 |
| Governance (WGI mean) | -0.46 | 53 |
| External debt | 52.1 | 46 |
Pressure
2025Inputs only. Did not pass the pre-registered back-test: 1996–2009: AUC 0.657 below the single-input baseline (0.672).
Inputs
| Inflation | 0.7 |
| Change in inflation | -0.8 |
| Currency move against the dollar | 0.0% |
| Conflict deaths per million | 24.0 |
| Political stability | -0.64 |
| Private credit, three-year change | 6.5 |
| Bond spread over U.S. Treasuries | — |
Posture describes what an economy is doing; it is not a rating and never ranks countries. Each input is read against the country’s own history and against every other economy that year. An axis shows a score only after passing a back-test fixed before any result was computed. Method and back-test.
Country Schemas
Where Ecuador is in its cycles
Where Ecuador sits in eight long cycles, each read from published statistics against a method fixed before any reading was computed. A stage describes; it is not a rating, and no stage is better or worse than another.
- Development stage
Drive to maturity93% · 2025
Pre-take-offTake-offDrive to maturityHigh mass consumption20002025
- Demographic stage
Low stationary68% · 2025
High stationaryEarly expandingLate expandingLow stationaryDeclining20002025
- Debt cycle stage
Early cycle94% · 2025
Early cycleLeveragingLate cycleDeleveraging20012025
- External balance stage
Debt repayer82% · 2025
Immature debtorMature debtorDebt repayerImmature creditorMature creditorCredit disinvestor20002025
- Export structure stage
Commodity-reliant92% · 2025
Commodity-reliantDiversifyingManufacturing exporterComplex exporter20002025
- Structural pressure
High73% · 2025
LowBuildingHighAcute20002025
- Middle-class stage
Middle-class majority98% · 2025
Pre-middle-classEmerging middle classMiddle-class majorityAffluent20002025
- Electoral cycle
Mid-term99% · 2026-10
Post-electionMid-termPre-election2023-112026-10
Passport reach
Where a Ecuador passport opens doors
The share of world GDP, outside Ecuador itself, in the economies whose published rules let a holder of this passport in, as of October 2026. Palanor records the rules of destinations holding 88% of world GDP, from each government’s own list, and weights them by World Bank GDP for 2025. Rank is among 199 passports.
Work
2.3%rank 100 of 199
the right to work (free movement in full; treaty and working-holiday routes at half); 0 destinations in full, 3 at half.
Recorded changes
- 2024-06-01Hungary (working holiday) · work: no route → Working holiday source
Reach is shown here and not weighted into Country Strength: it rewards membership of a free-movement area or a treaty more than the strength of an economy. Entry is always at the border officer’s discretion, and conditions (length of stay, fees, age limits) vary. Method, sources and the full ranking: Passports and citizenship.
Palanor calculation from each destination government's published rules; GDP weights from the World Bank (CC BY 4.0), one year for the whole line, so it moves only when a list changes.
GDP by expenditure
What Ecuador’s economy runs on
In 2025, household spending was 62.7% of GDP, government consumption 12.8%, investment 20.9% and net exports +3.5% (exports 31.4%, imports 27.9%).
World Bank national accounts. The parts can miss 100 by a few points (the statistical discrepancy).
Same World Bank definition for every country, so the shares compare directly: What each economy runs on.
IMF World Economic Outlook
The IMF’s outlook for Ecuador
The latest year before the October 2026 edition (often still an IMF estimate) and the IMF’s own projections. These are the IMF’s published forecasts, shown as published; Palanor does not project them further. Since the previous edition the IMF raised its growth forecast for this year by 0.2 percentage points (Palanor calculation).
| Measure | 2025 | 2026 IMF f’cast | 2027 IMF f’cast | 2031 IMF f’cast |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Real GDP growth% | 3.7 | 2.7 | 2.5 | 3.0 |
| Inflation, average consumer prices% | 0.7 | 2.0 | 2.1 | 1.5 |
| Unemployment rate% of labor force | 3.1 | 3.1 | 3.1 | 3.1 |
| GDP, current US dollarsUS$ bn | 130.3 | 138.2 | 144.1 | 171.3 |
| GDP at purchasing-power parityintl $ bn | 306.4 | 325.3 | 343.9 | 415.2 |
| GDP per person, US dollarsUS$ | 7,199 | 7,575 | 7,839 | 9,036 |
| Current account balance% of GDP | 5.9 | 4.6 | 4.6 | 3.3 |
Source: IMF World Economic Outlook Database (edition on the projection). Dashed: the IMF's published projection.
Source: IMF World Economic Outlook Database, October 2026. Provided by the IMF “as is” and free of charge from the IMF; the IMF does not endorse Palanor.
Charts
The headline series
Conflict
Organized violence
News
In the news
- Enap to acquire Pluspetrol Ecuador for $207 million
Chile's state oil company will boost production 26% and reserves 34% in deal pending regulatory approval.
Palanor Wire2026-10-20neutral
- Christian Resurgence (US): Priest dies during Mass, veteran journalist exits CNN
Priest killed in Ecuador, Amanpour exits CNN
Palanor Wire2026-10-20neutral
- Ecuador priest dies after crucifix falls during livestreamed Mass
A Roman Catholic priest in southwestern Ecuador died Saturday after a large wooden crucifix fell on him during a livestreamed evening Mass.
Palanor Wire2026-10-19negative · -falls
- Global Policy Shifts Reshape Market Landscapes
Russia waits on Trump proposals, Ecuador secures Canada trade deal, and Vietnam targets social media access in a day of international regulatory moves.
Palanor Wire2026-07-25neutral
- Perú y Ecuador reforzarán lucha contra minería ilegal y crimen organizado
Rumbo Minero2026-10-21neutral
- Perú y Ecuador reforzarán lucha contra minería ilegal y crimen organizado
Rumbo Minero2026-10-21neutral
- Científicos descubren una rana venenosa en Ecuador, pero reservan su ubicación para protegerla de los traficantes | ENTREVISTA
Mongabay Latam2026-10-21neutral
- Petroperú comprará 16.2 millones de barriles de crudo a Ecuador
Rumbo Minero2026-10-21neutral
- Enap acuerda adquisición de Pluspetrol Ecuador por US$ 207 millones
Rumbo Minero2026-10-20neutral
- Ecuador no está preparado para El Niño: expertos advierten posibles impactos devastadores en más de 1.2 millones de personas
Mongabay Latam2026-10-20neutral
- Siemens incorpora a Luis Fernando Ochoa como Vertical and Territory Sales Manager en Perú, Ecuador y Bolivia
Rumbo Minero2026-10-20neutral
- Enap acuerda adquirir operación petrolera en Ecuador por US$207 millones
Portal Minero2026-10-20neutral
- Enap compra petrolera en Ecuador en más de US$ 200 millones para reforzar el suministro de sus refinerías
La Tercera2026-10-19neutral
- A priest in Ecuador died on Saturday after a large wooden crucifix fell from a wall and fatally struck him during a livestreamed Mass.
The New York Times · Bluesky2026-10-19negative · -fell
Headlines that name Ecuador, matched by name with fixed rules (a wrong match is worse than a missing one). Tone is read from each headline’s own words; no model reads or summarizes an article, and other publishers’ stories link out.
Company graph
Companies headquartered in Ecuador
Palanor’s company graph holds 5 entities headquartered here (GLEIF headquarters address, else legal address).
Signals
Every series about Ecuador
Grouped by theme, the most-read first. All 146 in the Library.
Growth and output8 of 30
- Ecuador · Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing Value Added · % of GDP36th percentile since 1960; highest since 2001; 1y +0.467 pts9.7% of GDP2025
- Ecuador · GDP · USD bn (current)record high since 1960; 1y +5.3%$130.3bn2025
- Ecuador · Industry (incl. Construction) Value Added · % of GDP20th percentile since 1960; lowest since 2020; 1y −1.01 pts25.7% of GDP2025
- Ecuador · Manufacturing Value Added · % of GDP14th percentile since 1960; 1y +0.239 pts13.2% of GDP2025
- Ecuador · Services Value Added · % of GDP84th percentile since 1960; lowest since 2014; 1y −0.0938 pts57% of GDP2025
- Ecuador · Real GDP Growth · % y/y48th percentile since 1961; highest since 2022; 1y +5.67 pts3.73%2025
- Ecuador · GDP per Capita · PPP USDrecord high since 1990; 1y +5.7%16,757 usd2025
- Ecuador · Country Strength25th percentile since 1996; lowest since 2020; 1y −20.3%40 index2025
Prices1 of 3
- Ecuador · Inflation · CPI % y/y8th percentile since 1960; lowest since 2021; 1y −0.84 pts0.71%2025
Jobs and people at work3 of 4
- Ecuador · Female Labor Force Participation · %72nd percentile since 1990; 1y unchanged52.4%2025
- Ecuador · Male Labor Force Participation · %13th percentile since 1990; 1y −0.08 pts76.9%2025
- Ecuador · Unemployment Rate · %10th percentile since 1991; lowest since 2013; 1y −0.14 pts3.31%2025
Government and debt8
- Ecuador · Budget Balance · % GDP50th percentile since 1995; 1y −1.54-2.79 pct_gdp2025
- Ecuador · Government Spending · % GDP60th percentile since 1995; 1y +0.1%38.4 pct_gdp2025
- Ecuador · Net Interest · % GDP44th percentile since 1995; highest since 2020; 1y +2.3%1.13 pct_gdp2025
- Ecuador · Primary Balance · % GDP34th percentile since 1995; 1y −1.51-1.66 pct_gdp2025
- Ecuador · Government Debt · % GDP78th percentile since 2001; highest since 2022; 1y +0.7%54.5 pct_gdp2025
- Ecuador · Budget Balance · % GDP (central govt)record high since 2013; 1y +2.89-0.01 pct_gdp2022
- Ecuador · Interest · % of Expense (central govt)45th percentile since 2013; 1y +1.08 pts4.74%2022
- Ecuador · Interest · % of Revenue (central govt)45th percentile since 2013; 1y +0.72 pts4.66%2022
Trade and capital flows2 of 3
- Ecuador · Current Account · % GDP97th percentile since 1976; highest since 2000; 1y +2.3%5.86 pct_gdp2025
- Ecuador · Net International Investment Position, % of GDP (IMF)86th percentile since 1993; highest since 2014; 1y +5.12 pts-12.1% of GDP2025
Conflict and geopolitics7 of 13
- Ecuador Material Conflict Share of News Events (GDELT, Weekly)37th percentile since Jan 2019; lowest since Sep 20, 2026; 1y −15.50 pts11.2%2026-10-18
- Ecuador · Organized-Violence Deaths (UCDP, annual)96th percentile since 1989; 1y +28.7%439 deaths2025
- Ecuador · State-Based Conflict Deaths (UCDP, annual)record low since 1989; 1y unchanged0 deaths2025
- Ecuador · Governance · WGI six-dimension mean54th percentile since 1996; lowest since 2015; 1y −0.013-0.54 index2025
- Ecuador · Political Stability · WGI43rd percentile since 1996; lowest since 2012; 1y −0.055-0.64 index2025
- Ecuador · Regulatory Quality · WGI67th percentile since 1996; lowest since 2019; 1y −0.091-0.71 index2025
- Ecuador · Rule of Law · WGI24th percentile since 1996; lowest since 2015; 1y −0.024-1.03 index2025
Migration4 of 6
- International Migrant Stock: Ecuador (UN)record high since 1990747,749 people2024
- International Migrants as a Share of Population: Ecuador (UN)record high since 19904.12% of population2024
- U.S.-Born People Living in Ecuador (UN)56th percentile since 1990; lowest since 200513,588 people2024
- Change in Migrant Share of Population Since 2000: Ecuador (UN)2.942024
AI stance and technology1 of 2
- AI User Share: Ecuador (Microsoft AI Diffusion)1y +3.30 pts20.3% of people aged 15-642026-06-30
Climate and the physical world10 of 13
- Ecuador CO₂ Emissions (Global Carbon Budget)record high since 1892; 1y +3.1%46 Mt CO₂2024
- Ecuador CO₂ Emissions per Person (Global Carbon Budget)98th percentile since 1892; highest since 2015; 1y +2.2%2.542024
- Ecuador Cumulative CO₂ Emissions (Global Carbon Budget)record high since 1892; 1y +3.4%1.39 Gt CO₂2024
- Ecuador Weekly Deforestation Alerts (Global Forest Watch)3rd percentile since Oct 2024; lowest since Mar 2, 2026; 1y −87.1%198.1 ha2026-10-12
- Ecuador · Arable Land · % of landrecord low since 1961; 1y −0.4 pts3.74% of land area2024
- Ecuador · Renewable Freshwater · m³ per personrecord low since 1961; 1y −0.8%24,8212022
- Ecuador · Forest Area · % of landrecord low since 1990; 1y −0.12 pts49.7%2024
- Ecuador Tree Cover Loss (Global Forest Watch)90th percentile since 2001; highest since 2017; 1y +44.2%61,943 ha2024
- Ecuador · PM2.5 Exposure · µg/m³record low since 1990; 1y −6.3%16.5 µg/m³2020
- Ecuador · Plastic Emitted to the Ocean by Rivers · tonnes per year (2015)1,134.1 t/yr2015
Health and living standards10 of 12
- Ecuador · Life Expectancy at Birth · yearsrecord high since 1960; 1y +0.2%77.6 years2024
- Ecuador · Human Development Index · UNDPrecord high since 1990; 1y +0.5%0.78 index2023
- Ecuador · Access to Electricity · % of population65th percentile since 1995; lowest since 2013; 1y −0.2 pts98.5%2024
- Ecuador · Extreme Poverty ($3.00 a day) · % of populationrecord low since 1987; 1y −3.90 pts3.4%2025
- Ecuador · Basic Drinking Water Access · % of populationrecord high since 2000; 1y +0.21 pts92.1%2024
- Ecuador · Poverty at National Lines · % of populationrecord low since 2000; 1y −6.60 pts21.4%2025
- Ecuador · Safely Managed Drinking Water · % of populationrecord high since 2000; 1y +0.22 pts69.9%2024
- Ecuador · Undernourishment · % of population40th percentile since 2001; lowest since 2017; 1y −1.10 pts10.8%2024
- Ecuador · Tertiary Enrollment Gender Gap · pts (women − men)record high since 200816.12023
- Ecuador · Tertiary Enrollment, Men · % grossrecord high since 200860% gross2023
Sentiment and attention1
- Ecuador · Search Attention65th percentile since Sep 2021; 1y −18.5%22 index2026-09-20
More about this country2 of 18
- Ecuador · IMF Credit Outstanding · USD bn (IMF)99th percentile since Jun 1957; 1y +6.9%$9.69bn2026-09-01
- Ecuador · IMF Credit Outstanding, % of GDPrecord high since 1983; 1y +0.567 pts7.57% of GDP2025
Peers
Elsewhere in South America
Alphabetical. Palanor does not rank countries.
ArgentinaBoliviaBrazilChileColombiaFalkland IslandsFrench GuianaGuyanaParaguayPeruSurinameUruguayVenezuela