Zamora Chinchipe Tax Revenue Reaches USD 758M, Overtaking Azuay
Zamora Chinchipe collected USD 758 million in taxes in the first half of 2026, a 76% increase from the same period in 2025. The province has moved ahead of Azuay in the tax-collection ranking.
Mining concentration
The province hosts Ecuador's two large-scale industrial mines operating since 2019: Fruta del Norte, operated by Aurelian Ecuador, a Lundin Gold subsidiary, and Mirador, operated by Ecuacorriente.
The source attributes the provincial change to the operating scale of the mines and to stronger gold and copper prices. It reports that Aurelian moved from fifth to second among Ecuadorian companies by revenue in 2025, while Ecuacorriente moved from sixth to third.
Tax data
Ecuador's total first-half tax collection reached USD 12.572 billion, an increase of USD 1.716 billion over the equivalent 2025 period. Zamora Chinchipe's share rose from 4% of national collection in the first half of 2025 to 6% in 2026.
At canton level, El Pangui and Yantzaza generated USD 743 million in tax collection, exceeding Cuenca's USD 528 million.
What to watch
- Whether copper and gold prices remain supportive of the province's tax base.
- How much of the increase is sustained through the second half.
- The fiscal and operating significance of the two mine corridors for Ecuador's revenue concentration.
Source
Primicias — “Zamora Chinchipe desplaza a Azuay y ya es la tercera provincia donde más impuestos se recauda”
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