Panama moving to head Latin America GDP list

PANAMA will   have the highest gross domestic product per capita in Latin America by 2018 says a  report by the International Monetary Fund (IMF)

The Chilean daily La Tercera reports that this would mean that, after 16 years, Chile would  yield the scepter as the nation with the highest  level of wealth per inhabitant within Latin America, according to the IMF.

The update of the database of the agency shows that, in two years, Panama will edge past  Chile as the territory with the highest per capita GDP adjusted for purchasing power parity (PPP)

with $25,712, against $25,710 of Chile. The initial gap

Of just $2 would increase to $1,681 by 2021, the paper said.

The loss of regional leadership is explained by differences in

growth. Between 2010 and 2015, Chile recorded an average expansion of 4.2%, compared with  7.5% by Panama