Since 2007, each edition of the annual Latin American Economic Outlook (LEO) analyses one of the multiple challenges faced by the Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) region in its transition towards sustainable and inclusive development, comparing LAC’s performance against its peers, suggesting policy recommendations and providing examples for policy learning.

The LEO benefits from the expertise and inputs of several institutions. In 2011, the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean joined the OECD as co-author, as did the Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean in 2013, and the European Commission in 2018.

This 17th LEO, Financing Sustainable Development, maps and analyses the region’s various sources of financing in a context of tight fiscal space, unpacking the options for funding development agendas better at national, regional and international levels. It provides policy recommendations for governments to improve tax collection, fiscal expenditure and the management of public debt. It stresses the strategic role of the private sector and how further developing financial markets can help channel more private investment towards development goals. Finally, the report underscores the necessity for stronger international partnerships to accelerate the mobilisation of international resources towards the region’s sustainable development.