For those of you not in the know, or should I say Latin American know, Am?rica Econom?a is the most important financial magazine in the Americas. In April of this year they ranked the 42 best Latin American cities on various categories including GDP size, GDP per capita, safety, etc. resulting in an overall score. According to the result, in 2008 the top 5 Latin American cities are (GDP per capita in parenthesis):
1. Sao Paulo ($12,922)
2. Miami ($79,934) - Miami is home to many Latin American headquarters of multinational corporations and along with Mexico City and Sao Paulo, have a tremendous influence all over Latin America via its economic ties, its media, etc. For this reason it?s included in the ranking.
3. Santiago - Chile ($11,513)
4. M?xico DF ($10,882)
5. Buenos Aires ($10,414)
Santo Domingo was ranked 35, a decrease of 17 points in relation to its ranking in 2007.
However, here is how Santo Domingo faired better in the following categories in relation to other top cities of Latin America.
Note: GDP figures are nominal
1. With a GDP of $12.931 billion, Santo Domingo's urban economy is bigger than the economies of:
Panama City $12.920 billion
Florianapolis (Brazil) 3.735
Chihuahua (M?xico) 5.903
Fortaleza (Brazil) 12.303
Montevideo (Uruguay) 11.750
Recife (Brazil) 10.165
San Jos? (Costa Rica) 8.177
Le?n (M?xico) 6.905
Guayaquil (Ecuador) 11.755
Rosario (Argentina) 10.430
Mendoza (Argentina) 8.195
C?rdoba (Argentina) 9.437
Tijuana (M?xico) 12.841
Ciudad Ju?rez (M?xico) 12.561
Quito (Ecuador) 9.574
Asunci?n (Paraguay) 3.208
San Salvador (El Salvador) 9.105
Guatemala City 9.995
Santa Cruz (Bolivia) 3.935
La Paz (Bolivia) 3.067
2. In terms of per capita income, or overall wealth, the capital of the Dominican Republic, with a GDP per capita of $6,541; is wealthier than the following Latin American cities:
Bogot? 5,992
Lima 4,293
Florianopolis 4,484
Fortaleza 5,003
San Jos? 5,271
Salvador 4,868
Le?n 1,951
Guayaquil 5,530
Quito 4,388
Asunci?n 1,928
San Salvador 3,961
Guatemala City 3,554
Santa Cruz 2,437
La Paz 1,752
Additionally, Santo Domingo is wealthier than these Latin American countries:
Belize $4,318
Jamaica 4,990
Haiti 793
Guatemala 2,660
El Salvador 3,373
Honduras 1,797
Nicaragua 1,060
Colombia 5,174
Ecuador 3,927
Per? 4,610
Bolivia 1,890
Paraguay 2,658
Guyana 1,484
Suriname 5,599
3. In terms of GDP growth, Santo Domingo registered 7.5% for 2008. This is well above the economic growth rate of the country. At this rate, not only is Santo Domingo's wealth growing faster than that of the rest of the country (perhaps Santiago de los Caballeros growth might be comparable or the growth in tourist areas like B?varo-Punta Cana) which would lead to a further gap between the capital and the rest of the country. If such rate was to be maintained, its wealth would double every 9.6 years. Santo Domingo's urban economy is growing faster than the economies of the following Latin American cities:
Miami 3.7
Santiago (Chile) 5.3
M?xico DF 1.7
Monterrey 4.3
Rio de Janeiro 1.7
Bogot? 7.0
Lima 5.9
Curitiba 4.8
Quer?taro 4.2
Porto Alegre 4.9
Belo Horizonte 5.8
Guadalajara 2.5
Florianapolis 5.5
Brasilia 2.9
Chihuahua 6.5
Montevideo 5.2
San Juan (Puerto Rico) -1.2
Medell?n 5.8
Puebla 2.7
San Jos? 6.0
Salvador (Brazil) 6.2
Le?n 4.0
Guayaquil 5.4
Tijuana 2.8
Ciudad Ju?rez 3.4
Cali 4.7
Quito 3.1
Asunci?n 6.3
San Salvador 4.2
Guatemala City 4.3
Santa Cruz 3.7
La Paz 3.0
4. In terms of safety, Santo Domingo on a scale of 100 points with 100 being very unsafe, the Dominican capital got 75. In relation to other cities in the region, Santo Domingo is as safe or safer than:
Sao Paulo 91.7
M?xico DF 91.7
Buenos Aires 75
Rio de Janeiro 100
Bogot? 83.3
Belo Horizonte 75
Medell?n 91.7
Guayaquil 75
Tijuana 91.7
Ciudad Ju?rez 91.7
Caracas 91.7
Cali (Colombia) 91.7
Santa Cruz 75
La Paz 91.7
5. In the ranking GDP figures are nominal and not in Purchasing Power Parity, the latter which gives a better overall idea of the wealth within a city or country in relation to the purchasing power of the local currency. To get the Dominican figures in Purchasing Power Parity, multiply the figures by 1.65. Thus, Santo Domingo has a GDP (PPP) of $21.134 billion or 28% of national GDP (PPP) and a GDP (PPP) per capita of $10,793 or 26% higher than the national GDP (PPP) per capita. Since PPP accounts for differences in purchasing power in each country and gives a better idea of the actual standards of living, Santo Domingo has a purchasing power that is high enough to make it wealthier than the following Latin American countries:
Guatemala $4,900 (GDP PPP)
Belize 7,960
El Salvador 6,052
Honduras 4,261
Nicaragua 2,705
Jamaica 7,876
Haiti 1,330
Colombia 8,337
Ecuador 7,518
Guyana 4,093
Bolivia 4,333
Paraguay 4,767
Brazil 10,298
Per? 8,589
Suriname 8,326
6. Notable Latin American cities that were not in the top 42 best cities to do business were:
Tegucigalpa, Honduras
Managua, Nicaragua
Maracaibo, Venezuela
La Habana, Cuba
Port-au-Prince, Haiti
Kingston, Jamaica
Santiago, Dominican Republic
Port of Spain, Trinidad
Cartagena, Colombia
Santa Marta, Colombia
Buenaventura, Colombia
Valparaiso, Chile
Vi?a del Mar, Chile
Trujillo, Per?
Santo Domingo, D.R.
Sources:
Cities Data: Am?rica Econom?a
Countries and PPP Data: IMF
-NALs
1. Sao Paulo ($12,922)
2. Miami ($79,934) - Miami is home to many Latin American headquarters of multinational corporations and along with Mexico City and Sao Paulo, have a tremendous influence all over Latin America via its economic ties, its media, etc. For this reason it?s included in the ranking.
3. Santiago - Chile ($11,513)
4. M?xico DF ($10,882)
5. Buenos Aires ($10,414)
Santo Domingo was ranked 35, a decrease of 17 points in relation to its ranking in 2007.
However, here is how Santo Domingo faired better in the following categories in relation to other top cities of Latin America.
Note: GDP figures are nominal
1. With a GDP of $12.931 billion, Santo Domingo's urban economy is bigger than the economies of:
Panama City $12.920 billion
Florianapolis (Brazil) 3.735
Chihuahua (M?xico) 5.903
Fortaleza (Brazil) 12.303
Montevideo (Uruguay) 11.750
Recife (Brazil) 10.165
San Jos? (Costa Rica) 8.177
Le?n (M?xico) 6.905
Guayaquil (Ecuador) 11.755
Rosario (Argentina) 10.430
Mendoza (Argentina) 8.195
C?rdoba (Argentina) 9.437
Tijuana (M?xico) 12.841
Ciudad Ju?rez (M?xico) 12.561
Quito (Ecuador) 9.574
Asunci?n (Paraguay) 3.208
San Salvador (El Salvador) 9.105
Guatemala City 9.995
Santa Cruz (Bolivia) 3.935
La Paz (Bolivia) 3.067
2. In terms of per capita income, or overall wealth, the capital of the Dominican Republic, with a GDP per capita of $6,541; is wealthier than the following Latin American cities:
Bogot? 5,992
Lima 4,293
Florianopolis 4,484
Fortaleza 5,003
San Jos? 5,271
Salvador 4,868
Le?n 1,951
Guayaquil 5,530
Quito 4,388
Asunci?n 1,928
San Salvador 3,961
Guatemala City 3,554
Santa Cruz 2,437
La Paz 1,752
Additionally, Santo Domingo is wealthier than these Latin American countries:
Belize $4,318
Jamaica 4,990
Haiti 793
Guatemala 2,660
El Salvador 3,373
Honduras 1,797
Nicaragua 1,060
Colombia 5,174
Ecuador 3,927
Per? 4,610
Bolivia 1,890
Paraguay 2,658
Guyana 1,484
Suriname 5,599
3. In terms of GDP growth, Santo Domingo registered 7.5% for 2008. This is well above the economic growth rate of the country. At this rate, not only is Santo Domingo's wealth growing faster than that of the rest of the country (perhaps Santiago de los Caballeros growth might be comparable or the growth in tourist areas like B?varo-Punta Cana) which would lead to a further gap between the capital and the rest of the country. If such rate was to be maintained, its wealth would double every 9.6 years. Santo Domingo's urban economy is growing faster than the economies of the following Latin American cities:
Miami 3.7
Santiago (Chile) 5.3
M?xico DF 1.7
Monterrey 4.3
Rio de Janeiro 1.7
Bogot? 7.0
Lima 5.9
Curitiba 4.8
Quer?taro 4.2
Porto Alegre 4.9
Belo Horizonte 5.8
Guadalajara 2.5
Florianapolis 5.5
Brasilia 2.9
Chihuahua 6.5
Montevideo 5.2
San Juan (Puerto Rico) -1.2
Medell?n 5.8
Puebla 2.7
San Jos? 6.0
Salvador (Brazil) 6.2
Le?n 4.0
Guayaquil 5.4
Tijuana 2.8
Ciudad Ju?rez 3.4
Cali 4.7
Quito 3.1
Asunci?n 6.3
San Salvador 4.2
Guatemala City 4.3
Santa Cruz 3.7
La Paz 3.0
4. In terms of safety, Santo Domingo on a scale of 100 points with 100 being very unsafe, the Dominican capital got 75. In relation to other cities in the region, Santo Domingo is as safe or safer than:
Sao Paulo 91.7
M?xico DF 91.7
Buenos Aires 75
Rio de Janeiro 100
Bogot? 83.3
Belo Horizonte 75
Medell?n 91.7
Guayaquil 75
Tijuana 91.7
Ciudad Ju?rez 91.7
Caracas 91.7
Cali (Colombia) 91.7
Santa Cruz 75
La Paz 91.7
5. In the ranking GDP figures are nominal and not in Purchasing Power Parity, the latter which gives a better overall idea of the wealth within a city or country in relation to the purchasing power of the local currency. To get the Dominican figures in Purchasing Power Parity, multiply the figures by 1.65. Thus, Santo Domingo has a GDP (PPP) of $21.134 billion or 28% of national GDP (PPP) and a GDP (PPP) per capita of $10,793 or 26% higher than the national GDP (PPP) per capita. Since PPP accounts for differences in purchasing power in each country and gives a better idea of the actual standards of living, Santo Domingo has a purchasing power that is high enough to make it wealthier than the following Latin American countries:
Guatemala $4,900 (GDP PPP)
Belize 7,960
El Salvador 6,052
Honduras 4,261
Nicaragua 2,705
Jamaica 7,876
Haiti 1,330
Colombia 8,337
Ecuador 7,518
Guyana 4,093
Bolivia 4,333
Paraguay 4,767
Brazil 10,298
Per? 8,589
Suriname 8,326
6. Notable Latin American cities that were not in the top 42 best cities to do business were:
Tegucigalpa, Honduras
Managua, Nicaragua
Maracaibo, Venezuela
La Habana, Cuba
Port-au-Prince, Haiti
Kingston, Jamaica
Santiago, Dominican Republic
Port of Spain, Trinidad
Cartagena, Colombia
Santa Marta, Colombia
Buenaventura, Colombia
Valparaiso, Chile
Vi?a del Mar, Chile
Trujillo, Per?
Santo Domingo, D.R.
Sources:
Cities Data: Am?rica Econom?a
Countries and PPP Data: IMF
-NALs
:cheeky: