Chile economic activity up 1.6pc in 2017

SANTIAGO: Chile's economic activity rose 1.6 percent in 2017, matching the previous year, the central bank said on Monday, as growth continues to be sluggish in the world's top copper producer.

Chile's economic activity rose 2.6 percent in December from the same month a year ago, due to an increase in commerce and services, the bank said in a statement.

The IMACEC economic activity index, encompassing about 90 percent of the economy tallied in gross domestic product figures, came in above a Reuters forecasts of a 2.2 percent increase.

Compared with November, economic activity increased a seasonally adjusted 0.3 percent.