Breaking news, politics, economy, visas, safety, and lifestyle updates for expats living in Ecuador.
Ecuador recorded USD 18.849 billion in spending from January through August 2026, up 10% from the same period of 2025. Interest payments and transfers to IESS are taking more budget space while public-works spending remains a small share of the total.
The Paute basin averaged 94.8 cubic meters per second in August, below its historical August average of 136.4. Mazar inflows averaged 56 cubic meters per second against a historical 90, putting the reservoir and dry-season power management back in focus.
Employees earning more than USD 12,208 annually or USD 1,017.33 monthly can update their personal-expense projection through September 30. The update can change monthly income-tax withholding, but projected expenses must later be supported with invoices or sales receipts.
Ecuador's National Electoral Council says citizens can now pay electoral fines online with Visa and Mastercard through its portal. The change arrives ahead of the November 29, 2026 sectional and CPCCS elections, with additional bank and Facilito payment channels still available.
Ecuador's Secretariat for Risk Management says the red alert for El Nino does not mean intense rain is about to begin everywhere. The agency says the alert activates preparedness, COE coordination, action plans, and stronger monitoring.
Petroecuador averaged 365,704 barrels per day in August 2026, below the 370,000-barrel projection made by manager Sebastian Maag. The year-to-date comparison is higher than 2025, but that comparison is distorted by the sharp fall in July 2025.
Ecuador is due for the sixth review under its IMF program in September 2026. If the government has met the targets reviewed through June, the Fund is expected to disburse about $390 million, but that money is not approved yet.
An international review requested by INEC says census imputation reached 4.7% to 5%, representing 759,103 people who were not directly counted, and rose to 10% when incomplete and corrected records are included.
Trade between Ecuador and Peru reached USD 1.2267 billion in the first half of 2026, up 33.5% year over year. Exports, imports, Peruvian investment, and a sharp fall in purchases from Colombia are reshaping the cross-border commercial picture.
A resolution in force since August 20 allows electricity, water, phone, and other utility payments to be considered supplementary information in credit evaluation. It does not mean providers are automatically sending records to the credit bureau today.
Ecuador has recorded 28,652 dengue cases in 2026, with weekly reports above the same periods in 2025 since late May. Separate resistance data, measured through June 2025, shows high resistance to deltamethrin and a changing challenge for mosquito control.
At least 10 large shopping-center projects are in development in Ecuador, with estimated investment of USD 400 million and more than 750,000 square meters of additional leasable area under construction. The pipeline includes Mall del Alto in Cuenca and projects on the coast and near Quito.
