, the highest rate so far this year, and accumulated 25 consecutive months of uninterrupted expansion,
With this result, the South American country posted 3.6% growth in the first four months of the year, reflecting the resilience of economic activity and the strength of its macroeconomic fundamentals despite supply-side shocks associated with El Niño phenomenon and international uncertainty.
The MEF chief highlighted that April's performance confirms the Peruvian economy's ability to continue expanding amid a complex environment.
"Growing 3.73% in a scenario marked by supply-side shocks confirms that the Peruvian economy retains its capacity for expansion, supported by dynamic domestic demand and solid macroeconomic fundamentals," Minister Acuña stated.
"The advance of investment and non-primary sectors shows that the country continues to have the conditions needed to sustain growth," he added.
April's growth, reported by the National Institute of Statistics and Informatics (INEI), was driven mainly by the performance of non-primary sectors.
These sectors rose 4.4%, up from 3.8% in March, and recorded 25 consecutive months of growth.
This performance was driven by the strength of domestic demand amid higher private and public investment.
The construction sector stood out, growing 12.9% and recording 12 consecutive months of expansion. Non-primary manufacturing advanced 1.4%, while the trade and services sectors increased 7.3% and 3.0%, respectively.
These results were supported by stronger private spending and the labor market's solid performance.
Meanwhile, primary sectors contracted 1.6% in April 2026, marking a third consecutive month of decline, mainly due to supply-side shocks.
This result reflected a contraction in the mining and hydrocarbons sector (-3.2%), driven by lower hydrocarbons production (-24.7%) and a slight drop in metallic mining (-0.3%), as well as a decline in the agriculture-livestock sector (-1.6%).
By contrast, the fishing sector grew 1.7%, supported by higher catches of giant squid and bonito fish, as well as the start of the first anchovy fishing season in the north-central zone.
Regarding the outlook for May, Minister Acuña underscored that economic activity likely maintained a positive trajectory, driven by the recovery of domestic demand.
"May indicators show that the economy likely maintained a favorable trajectory. The acceleration in electricity demand, growth in capital goods imports, and solid consumption performance suggest that domestic demand continues to support economic expansion," he emphasized.
Indeed, leading indicators show favorable signs. Electricity demand grew 5.5% in May 2026, its highest rate since February 2024.
Capital goods imports also increased 28.2% in nominal terms, extending their growth streak to 26 consecutive months. Meanwhile, country risk averaged 109 basis points as of June 10, 2026, among the lowest levels in the region.
On the consumption side, consumer goods imports rose 17.6% in nominal terms, while BBVA's big data consumption indicator advanced 9.4%, extending its growth streak to 30 consecutive months.
In this context, the government reaffirmed its commitment to sustaining economic growth through the preservation of macroeconomic stability, promoting investment, and the implementation of strategic projects aimed at mitigating the adverse effects of supply-side shocks such as El Niño.
(END) NDP/JAM/MVB