Argentina Economic Trends Analysis
Budget: $10 – $60 CAD
I'm seeking a data analyst to evaluate Argentina's economic landscape from 2016 to 2024. The focus will be on trend analysis of key economic indicators.
Key Indicators:
(a) Collect the following variables from the relevant/appropriate statistical agency:
• Nominal (official) Exchange rate
• Nominal Gross Domestic Product (GDP)
• Total Central Government Expenditure (G)
• Total Central Government Revenue (T)
• Current Account Balance
• Financial and Capital Account Balance (Hint: The Capital Account may not be included
in the Financial Account balance for your country. It may be included alongside the
Current Account).
• Change in (Official Settlement Balance) Foreign Reserves.
Note: All values should be in local currency. You will be submitting two different excel
workbooks. The first workbook includes all the raw/original data as displayed by the official
source (Hint: You may want to copy out the entire Balance of Payment Account, rather than
individual variables, so that you can always refer back to it if you need – Similar advice may
apply to the Central Government Sector Account). The second workbook will contain your clean
and well-labelled dataset.
(b) Clearly describe your data, sources (including hyperlinks), and any transformations or
assumptions made in Excel.
2. Construction of Sectoral Balances (5 marks)
Using your dataset, construct the following macroeconomic balances:
• Private sector balance: S − I (Note: this is a residual of other sectoral balances)
• Government (fiscal) balance: G – T
• External balance: CA (i.e. X-M, but I prefer actual CA)
(a) Plot each of these balances over time on the same graph and fully label (Hint: Convert all
variables (except exchange rate) into percentages of GDP).
(b) Verify the macroeconomic identity holds: S − I = (G − T) + (CA)
3. Construction of External Balances (5 marks)
Using your dataset, construct the following External balances:
• Current Account
• Financial and Capital Account (including Net Errors and Omissions)
• Change in Reserves
(a) Plot each of these balances over time on the same graph and fully label.
(b) Verify the External Sector identity: CA = KFA + ∆ Reserves. (Hint: How the Capital
Account is classified might differ by country or time period and think critically about the data,
e.g. the impact of Net Errors and Omissions/Statistical Discrepancy).
4. Construction of Currency Crisis Variable (5 marks)
Using the official exchange rate variable, construct a binary crisis variable for which crisis = 0,
when the annual percentage change in exchange rate is less than 25% and crisis = 1, when the
annual percentage change in exchange rate is at least 25%.
(a) Add this crisis variable to each chart above as marker and label the years.
(b) Discuss how real sector balances interact before and after crises.
(c) Evaluate whether and/or how changes in the External Sector Accounts may contribute to, or
result from, crisis episodes. (Although not a requirement, feel free to add other variables that
might enhance your analysis, but as a separate graph).Submit the original and cleaned dataset (Excel format)
and a written
report (in PDF, maximum 2 pages, excluding graphs. Hint: Maximize insight not words). . All graphs and tables must be clearly labeled and properly referenced in
the text.
Ideal skills and experience:
- Expertise in economic data analysis
- Proficiency in data visualization tools
- Strong analytical and statistical skills
- Experience with Argentina's economic context is a plus
Your analysis will help in understanding the economic trajectory and informing future decisions.
Key Indicators:
(a) Collect the following variables from the relevant/appropriate statistical agency:
• Nominal (official) Exchange rate
• Nominal Gross Domestic Product (GDP)
• Total Central Government Expenditure (G)
• Total Central Government Revenue (T)
• Current Account Balance
• Financial and Capital Account Balance (Hint: The Capital Account may not be included
in the Financial Account balance for your country. It may be included alongside the
Current Account).
• Change in (Official Settlement Balance) Foreign Reserves.
Note: All values should be in local currency. You will be submitting two different excel
workbooks. The first workbook includes all the raw/original data as displayed by the official
source (Hint: You may want to copy out the entire Balance of Payment Account, rather than
individual variables, so that you can always refer back to it if you need – Similar advice may
apply to the Central Government Sector Account). The second workbook will contain your clean
and well-labelled dataset.
(b) Clearly describe your data, sources (including hyperlinks), and any transformations or
assumptions made in Excel.
2. Construction of Sectoral Balances (5 marks)
Using your dataset, construct the following macroeconomic balances:
• Private sector balance: S − I (Note: this is a residual of other sectoral balances)
• Government (fiscal) balance: G – T
• External balance: CA (i.e. X-M, but I prefer actual CA)
(a) Plot each of these balances over time on the same graph and fully label (Hint: Convert all
variables (except exchange rate) into percentages of GDP).
(b) Verify the macroeconomic identity holds: S − I = (G − T) + (CA)
3. Construction of External Balances (5 marks)
Using your dataset, construct the following External balances:
• Current Account
• Financial and Capital Account (including Net Errors and Omissions)
• Change in Reserves
(a) Plot each of these balances over time on the same graph and fully label.
(b) Verify the External Sector identity: CA = KFA + ∆ Reserves. (Hint: How the Capital
Account is classified might differ by country or time period and think critically about the data,
e.g. the impact of Net Errors and Omissions/Statistical Discrepancy).
4. Construction of Currency Crisis Variable (5 marks)
Using the official exchange rate variable, construct a binary crisis variable for which crisis = 0,
when the annual percentage change in exchange rate is less than 25% and crisis = 1, when the
annual percentage change in exchange rate is at least 25%.
(a) Add this crisis variable to each chart above as marker and label the years.
(b) Discuss how real sector balances interact before and after crises.
(c) Evaluate whether and/or how changes in the External Sector Accounts may contribute to, or
result from, crisis episodes. (Although not a requirement, feel free to add other variables that
might enhance your analysis, but as a separate graph).Submit the original and cleaned dataset (Excel format)
and a written
report (in PDF, maximum 2 pages, excluding graphs. Hint: Maximize insight not words). . All graphs and tables must be clearly labeled and properly referenced in
the text.
Ideal skills and experience:
- Expertise in economic data analysis
- Proficiency in data visualization tools
- Strong analytical and statistical skills
- Experience with Argentina's economic context is a plus
Your analysis will help in understanding the economic trajectory and informing future decisions.