Articles
Business intelligence and analysis on Ecuador
Ecuador’s Seguro Joven Has 16,500 Affiliates. The Formalization Gap Is Larger.
Seguro Joven has reached 16,500 affiliates, while Ecuador’s broader youth labor market remains heavily informal and under-covered. The program’s design also changes when an affiliate turns 25.
Ecuador Credit Costs Are Falling Across Corporate and SME Segments
Ecuador’s average effective credit rate fell from 12.81% to 11.58% year over year. Corporate and SME borrowers saw larger reductions, creating a potentially more favorable financing environment for investment and expansion.
BCE Survey Points To Stronger Q3 Credit Demand With Tighter Screening
The central bank survey covers 23 private banks, 334 cooperatives, and four mutuals and points to stronger financing demand alongside continued risk controls.
SEPS Disputes The Delay Around Incoop’s Forced Liquidation
SEPS says Incoop failed three of 41 intensive-supervision strategies and that its forced liquidation was administratively ratified on April 10, 2026.
Ecuador Evaluates Supplemental IMF Resilience Financing
A possible IMF resilience facility would add a financing option for Ecuador, while the Finance Ministry says the 2026 economic program is already funded.
World Bank Approves USD 750M Budget Support Operation For Ecuador
The World Bank Group approved USD 750 million in budget support for Ecuador, backing reforms around public spending, fiscal risk, social transfers, business climate, financing for companies, and private-sector participation.
Large Cooperative Delinquency Holds At 8.3% As Microcredit Stress Persists
Ecuador's 44 large savings and credit cooperatives held 78% of cooperative-sector credit through May 2026, while delinquency stood at 8.3% in June. Microcredit remains the weakest segment at 10.81%, reflecting stress among entrepreneurs and small businesses.
Ecuador Digital Payments Scale As Cash Withdrawals Drop 22% In 2025
Ecuador’s private-bank cash withdrawals from savings accounts fell 22% in 2025, while POS and electronic payment channels grew 35% over two years. Digital channels now account for 67.7% of transaction count and 67% of amount moved, signaling a structural shift in retail payments and banking usage.
Insecurity Is Top External Concern For 53% Of Ecuador SMEs
Insecurity is the leading external concern for 53% of Ecuador SMEs in Chubb’s latest barometer. The study says theft, violence and extortion create material losses, raise operating costs and reduce confidence in the business environment.
Ecuador Reports USD 1.292B In 2025 Sustainable Finance Mobilization
Ecuador mobilized USD 1.292 billion in sustainable finance in 2025, according to the Mesa de Finanzas Sostenibles. The total includes housing, water and sanitation, climate finance, biodiversity bonds and public development-bank credit lines.
Monetary Code Reform Proposes Inclusion Credit Rates For Borrowers Without History
A Monetary Code reform under review in the National Assembly proposes a special interest-rate regime for borrowers without credit history or risk-bureau records. The Financial and Monetary Policy Board would set the regime, while the proposal currently limits inclusion loans to 36 months.
Ecuador Private Banks Post Record USD 544.1M H1 Profit
Ecuador's private banking system reported USD 544.1 million in first-half 2026 profit, the highest first-half figure in a decade. The result was up 30.39% from USD 417.3 million in H1 2025, while Pichincha, Pacífico, Guayaquil and Produbanco captured 72% of sector profits.