Which LAC countries will grow the most and the least this year?

Some countries in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) will grow much faster than others this year.

BEST PERFORMERS

Panama and Bolivia will be the star performers in 2014 with growth rates of 6.7% and 5.5% respectively, according to new forecasts from the UN Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (Eclac).

Eclac expects LAC to grow 2.2% this year, slower than its forecast of 2.7% in April.

Following Panama and Bolivia, there are several countries that will expand at an estimated 5% this year, namely Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador and Nicaragua, the UN agency said.

WORST PERFORMERS

The countries expected to see the worst performance this year will be Venezuela, Argentina and Barbados, according to Eclac.

The UN agency forecasts a 0.5% contraction in Venezuela, growth of 0.2% in Argentina and expansion of 0.5% in Barbados.

At a press conference on Monday in Chilean capital Santiago, Eclac's executive secretary Alicia Bárcena said that the estimated growth figure for Argentina is uncertain given the recent developments in that country (including the default issue).