Paraguay Government Bonds

In 2012, the Paraguayan economy contracted as a result of adverse conditions for the agricultural sector during the first half of the year due to a drought and an outbreak of FMD that affected beef exports. Preliminary Central Bank estimates for 2012 indicate a decline in real GDP of 1.2%, driven by a decline in agricultural production of about 28%. However, following a contraction in the first half of the year, the economy recovered in the second half of 2012 driven by a recovery of the livestock sector and the strength of the non-rural economy. Nonagricultural sector estimates for 2012 indicates an increase of 5%, in real terms. Preliminary estimates for the overall balance in 2012 for the central government indicates a deficit of 1.8% of GDP.
The public sector debt-to-GDP ratios of total public sector debt to GDP, as of December 31, 2011, was 10.6%. As of December 31, 2011, Paraguay’s public sector external debt was US$2.3 billion, a decrease of approximately 2.2% from the end of 2010. The Inter-American Development Bank and the World Bank are Paraguay’s largest creditors, accounting for 73.6% and 16.3% as of December 31, 2011, respectively, of total public sector external debt. Paraguay’s borrowings from multilateral organizations are used primarily for infrastructure and social development programs. As of December 31, 2011, public sector total outstanding domestic debt was approximately US$457.9 million, of which US$392.6 million was issued by the central government. Paraguay has issued treasury bonds in the domestic market through the Central Bank since 2006 and on the Asunción Stock Exchange since July 2012. In 2012, Paraguay issued eight series of bonds through the Central Bank and Asunción Stock Exchange, amounting to a total of approximately US$231.6 million.