March 4 (Reuters) – Venezuela’s economy grew 7.07% in the fourth quarter from a year earlier, the central bank said on Wednesday, reporting a 19th consecutive quarter of growth even as analysts estimate far lower expansion and triple-digit inflation.
The quarterly economic growth, the central bank said, was driven by oil activities, which rose 13.41% year-on-year, while non-oil activity grew 5.3% supported by construction and mining.
Local analyst firms, however, estimate much more modest economic growth and consumer price rises above 400% last year as the country has suffered a long economic decline.
The central bank said that gross domestic product (GDP) growth was achieved “amid exceptional external circumstances, marked by sanctions and financial restrictions imposed against Venezuela, intensifying during the last quarter of 2025.”
In 2025, Venezuela’s GDP grew 8.66% on a yearly basis, it added.
The monetary authority has not reported inflation data since 2024, when the government said the annualized rate reached 48%.
(Reporting by Reuters; Editing by Andrew Heavens and Emelia Sithole-Matarise)
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