Which Has The Better Economy: Argentina Or Chile?

[Joe]

http://www.nationmas...a/Chile/Economy

Some interesting things to note: In the GDP per capita. Both Argentina and Chile have been losing ground to other countries since 1950.

So for you Argentine bashers - it's not just Argentina that went from First to Third World status - Chile did as well!

Between 1900 and 1950, both Argentina and Chile held their place. Then things turned south as both lost ground relative to other countries at a similar pace. In 1973 both countries continued to lose ground although Argentina lost more.


GDP (per capita) $15,562.19 per capita $12,320.81 per capita ressed per 1 population. SOURCE: CIA World Factbooks 18 December 2003 to 28 March 2011 Ranked 51st in 2006. 26% more than Chile Ranked 58th in 2006. GDP per capita in 1900 $2,756.00 $1,949.00 Ranked 12th. 41% more than Chile Ranked 16th. GDP per capita in 1950 $4,987.00 $3,827.00 Ranked 12th. 30% more than Chile Ranked 16th. GDP per capita in 1973 $7,970.00 $5,028.00 Ranked 19th. 59% more than Chile Ranked 28th.

 

[glasgowjohn]

But if the Arg statistics are from Indec, can we really believe them?

 

[glasgowjohn]

Most of the figures are from 2005 or 2006 - is this updated anywhere?

 

[Rich One]

The only pertinent index is the GINI that is outdated from 2003?

Why can Chile borrow at less than 5% internationally and Argentina Could borrow at more than 15%...???

 

[Vagrant Violet]

But if the Arg statistics are from Indec, can we really believe them?

Very, VERY true! I have only been to Chile for a two week stay in late 2010, but even then, there were noticeable differences in product availability and prices and foreign currency exchange amongst other very obvious differences from such a brief stay. Keep in mind what has changed here since late 2010, before all foreign currency exchange was pretty much outlawed!

According to various "official"/"reputable" websites, there is NOTHING that reports Argentina as having anything more than 10.5% annual inflation (How interesting! I'm not an economist, but I beg to differ!):

Exhibit A: http://www.heritage....untry/argentina
Exhibit B: http://en.wikipedia...._infrastructure
Exhibit C: http://www.tradingec...a/inflation-cpi
Exhibit D: http://www.indexmund...er_prices).html
Exhibit E: http://www.imf.org/e...y/ARG/index.htm

I don't have the time or desire to go copying and pasting links to the entire internet, but c'mon! If anyone here really believes that we aren't experiencing inflation greater than 10.5% a year, please let me know, I have a bridge to sell you in Brooklyn...

Even better yet, I'll sweeten the deal and I will buy your dollars from you at an unbelievable 5.5 Arg. per 1 US Dollar (according to the official rate, that's a 10% PROFIT FOR YOU!). You'd better do it now before my inbox gets too full!

I'm not much of an authority on how Chile is doing (despite my father in law's side of the family being Chilean), but I honestly can't fathom their situation being so bad that every single official report downplays and denies such a serious problem by so much (I don't care what any website is "reporting," the people in charge here clasping their hands over their ears and singing "La la la" and ignoring this is WRONG).

 

[Joe]

I don't have the time or desire to go copying and pasting links to the entire internet, but c'mon! If anyone here really believes that we aren't experiencing inflation greater than 10.5% a year, please let me know, I have a bridge to sell you in Brooklyn...

Will you take Argentine pesos for your bridge in Brooklyn?

 

[Vagrant Violet]

Will you take Argentine pesos for your bridge in Brooklyn?

I don't see why not! I mean, according to everything I've read, it's no big deal, and I can always change them back into US dollars, right? That sounds legit.

 

[lamarque]

Well actually this is a odd question to ask, depending what you mean with better economy, If it is the total GDP then yes Argentina has a bigger/better economy, if it is the GDP per capita then they are both very similar one to the other, if it is stability then chile have a better economy, if it is politicians rules then again chile have a better economy, if it is a better and more spread free health and education system then Argentina have a better system, if you talk about place for secure investment then chile have a better economy, if you mean how complex is the economy then Argentina have a more diverse/better economy as chile is almost mono producers and depend only in the production/price of cooper.

What I want to say with this is that they are different and if you just want to measure them by GDP per capita then Argentina is better but for a very short amount. The thing is chile is a different model they don't produce nothing more than metal (wine to but that have a extremely small weight on their economy compared to mining) and so they can and they have to open their market for products from abroad to reach, so they will have more variety for sure, in the other hand if you do the same in Argentina that have a complex economy in terms of items produced and you cause a huge problem as the imported goods will destroy the local industry causing unemployment as it happen on the menem government.

Argentina cannot follow the Chilean model because for that you need a much smaller population and a natural resource as cooper in great quantity’s to maintain the country, this work until prices drop or the resource get depleted then you are done (is the rich petroleum country with small population model in other words, depending dangerously in one nonrenewable resource), Argentina have in the other hand Soya bean (soja) but their population is 4 times bigger and total soja exports are half the amount that chile export of copper, the rest of the exports and more important of the employment come from manufactures, so Argentina having half the export in a natural resource (soy) with 4 times more population you can realize that here the chilean model doesn’t work, you need a more complex economy that generate the necessary income for the people in here.

Chile have had good political measures and they give to the investor security that make a lot of diference but the most important thing they had was luck with the astronomical jump on the price of cooper, of course that apply to Argentina in a smaller scale with soy bean but it have a smaller weight in here as the population is 4 times bigger and the exports of soy don't have the same weight here than the exports of copper and other metals in Chile. What it should be copy of chile is the seriousness and the security for foreign investment to come, and in the other hand they should eliminate the fking populism in Argentina for good.

 

[kemer84]

Well, my brother works in migraciones and he tells me that Chilean and also Colombians are coming here in the Thousands to settle down!

Huge waves through the whole year.

I think that will give you a little hint about which economy is better...

 

[Joe]

Well, my brother works in migraciones and he tells me that Chilean and also Colombians are coming here in the Thousands to settle down!

Huge waves through the whole year.

I think that will give you a little hint about which economy is better...

The article I posted about Spanish immigration also indicated that Argentina is Spaniard's number one destination outside the Euro Zone!

At this point Argentina is kicking culo!