Dollarization and its relationship with economic insecurity in Ecuador (2014-2023)
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.25097/rep.n43.2026.03Keywords:
economic growth, economic inequality, dollarization, foreign investment, economic securityAbstract
This study examines the relationship between dollarization and economic stability in Ecuador during the period 2014-2023. Economic stability is represented by indicators such as gross domestic product (GDP), per capita income, inflation rate, and foreign direct investment (FDI). Using a quantitative approach, the findings showed that dollarization is associated with controlled inflation, which in turn has attracted FDI. Both GDP and per capita income showed an increase, but the economic inequality gap remained. A correlation was found between FDI and inequality (r=0.012; p=0.973), but the correlation between per capita income and inequality (r=-0.561; p=0.091), it was not significant. Compared to Colombia, it was noted that, although both countries experienced growth, the Colombian economy showed greater instability in terms of inflation, suggesting that dollarization in Ecuador is associated with greater price stability.
Downloads
References
Aiyar, S., & Ebeke, C. (2020). Inequality of opportunity, inequality of income and economic growth. World Development, 136, 105115. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.WORLDDEV.2020.105115
Adewale, A. M., Olopade, B. C., & Ogbaro, E. O. (2024). Effect of exchange rate on foreign direct investment in Nigeria. ABUAD Journal of Social and Management Sciences, 5(2), 302–318. https://doi.org/10.53982/AJSMS.2024.0502.05-J
Ariel, J., Carvache, T., Alejandro, J., Correa, M., & Carlos, M. (2025). Dollarized economies in Latin America. An inflationary analysis of pre, during and post pandemic. https://arxiv.org/pdf/2501.12358
Bajrami, F. (2024). Macroprudential policies and dollarisation: Implications for the financial system and a cross-exchange rate regime analysis. Charles University in Prague, Institute of Economic Studies (IES), Prague https://www.econstor.eu/handle/10419/300139
Banco Central del Ecuador (2020). 20 años de dolarización ecuatoriana: análisis del sector real e indicadores sociales. Nota Técnica No. 81. https://shorturl.at/qJX3T
Banco Central del Ecuador. (2023). Boletín de estadísticas macroeconómicas 2023. https://www.bce.fin.ec
Berg, A., & Borensztein, E. (2020). The pros and cons of full dollarization. Journal of Economics Perspectives, 14(4), 3-24. https://doi.org/10.1257/jep.14.4.3
Bergesio, L. y González, N. M. (2020). Los viajes de intercambio y las ferias. Relatos y vigencia del trueque en la Puna jujeña (Argentina). Estudios Atacameños, 65, 407-427. https://doi.org/10.22199/issn.0718-1043-2020-0034
Bernardino, A. C. y Gutiérrez, J. P. (2023). Cambios en los objetivos y en los instrumentos de la política económica en contextos de crisis e incertidumbre: Especial énfasis en el impacto de las criptomonedas sobre la estabilidad monetaria y financiera. Atlántida. Revista Canaria de Ciencias Sociales, 1(14), 121-140. https://doi.org/10.25145/j.atlantid.2023.14.07
Bitar, J. (2021). The unique dollarization case of Lebanon. Economic Systems, 45(2), 100765. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecosys.2020.100765
Carrión, F. y Pinto, J. P. (2019). Producción y organización espacial de viejas y ‘nuevas’ desigualdades en Quito. Andamios: Revista de Investigación Social, 39, 101-125.
Castillo-Ponce, R. A., Truong, B., De, M., & Rodriguez-Espinosa, L. (2021). Dollarization and economic interdependence: the case of Ecuador. Economic Analysis Review, 36(1), 85–101. https://www.rae-ear.org/index.php/rae/article/view/683
Chandra, L., & Ridwan, M. (2023). Impact of FDI, industrialization, and education on the environment in Argentina: ARDL approach. Heliyon, 9(1), e12872. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e12872
Connolly, M. B. (2025). Dollarization in Ecuador: 2000–2024. Annals of Operations Research, 346(1), 693–701. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10479-024-06365-y
Chugunov, I., Pasichnyi, M., Koroviy, V., Kaneva, T., & Nikitishin, A. (2021). Fiscal and monetary policy of economic development. European Journal of Sustainable Development, 10(1), 42–42. https://doi.org/10.14207/EJSD.2021.V10N1P42
Cueva, E., Carrillo, P., Tipán, A., Adalid, A., Cando, A., & Benavides, G. (2023). Convertibility and dollarization: Economic policy tools. Remittances Review, 8(4), 856. https://remittancesreview.com/menu-script/index.php/remittances/article/view/856
Detotto, C., & Otranto, E. (2010). Does crime affect economic growth? Kyklos, 63(3), 330-345. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-6435.2010.00477.x
Edwards, S. (2001). Dollarization and economic performance: An empirical investigation. Journal of Money, Credit and Banking, 33(2), 249-257. https://doi.org/10.2307/2673873
Expansión (2024). PIB de Ecuador. https://datosmacro.expansion.com/pib/ecuador
Fajnzylber, P., Lederman, D., & Loayza, N. (2002). Inequality and violent crime. Journal of Law and Economics, 45(1), 1-40. https://doi.org/10.1086/338347
Goded, L. E. (2023, diciembre 28). Por qué se puede (y debe) dolarizar Argentina en el 2024. Instituto Juan de Mariana. https://juandemariana.org/ijm-actualidad/analisis-diario/por-que-se-puede-y-debe-dolarizar-argentina-en-el-2024/
Gourinchas, P.-O. (2021). The dollar hegemon? Evidence and implications for policymakers. En The Asian Monetary Policy Forum (pp. 264-300). World Scientific. https://doi.org/10.1142/9789811238628_0007
Hofman, A. A., & Valderrama, P. (2021). Long run economic growth performance in Latin America – 1820–2016. Journal of Economic Surveys, 35(3), 833-869. https://doi.org/10.1111/joes.12383
Ige, A. (2025). Central banking and fragmentation of currency markets in an emerging economy. Qualitative Research in Financial Markets. Vol (ahead of print), No (ahead of print) https://doi.org/10.1108/QRFM-12-2023-0308
Instituto Nacional de Estadísticas y Censos. (2023). Indicadores laborales y sociales: Encuesta Nacional de Empleo, Desempleo y Subempleo (ENEMDU). https://www.ecuadorencifras.gob.ec
Jácome, H. (2004). La dolarización en Ecuador: Resultados macroeconómicos y retos a futuro (Serie Macroeconómica del desarrollo, No. 39). Comisión Económica para América Latina y el Caribe (CEPAL). https://repositorio.cepal.org/handle/11362/5276
Jara, H. X., Montesdeoca, L., Colmenarez, M. G., & Moreno, L. (2025). Two decades of tax-benefit reforms in Ecuador: How much have they contributed to poverty and inequality reduction? World Development, 190, 106976. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.WORLDDEV.2025.106976
Kallianiotis, N. (2020). Can monetary policy prevent financial crises? International Journal of Economics and Financial Research, 6, 51–75. https://doi.org/10.32861/ijefr.64.51.75
Lieto, A. J. (2023). Impact of Zimbabwe’s currency crisis on youth employment: Case of youth’s in the informal sector. Journal of Social Studies, 9(4), 1–10. https://shorturl.at/YER9A
Márquez, L. E., Cuetara, L. M., Labarca, N. J. y Cartay, R. (2020). Desarrollo y crecimiento económico: Análisis teórico desde un enfoque cuantitativo. Revista de ciencias sociales, 26(1), 233-253. https://www.redalyc.org/journal/280/28063104020/html/
Mnatsakanyan, R. (2024). The impact of reserve requirements on macroeconomic and financial stability in a small open economy. SN Business and Economics, 4(12), 1–38. https://doi.org/10.1007/s43546-024-00758-8
Meireles, M., & Rivera, G. (2023). Dollarization, private banking and financial profitability in Ecuador. Problemas Del Desarrollo, 54(215), 149-172. https://doi.org/10.22201/iiec.20078951e.2023.215.70021
Mercado, S. (2023). Dolarización en Argentina. Instituto Juan de Mariana. https://juandemariana.org/ijm-actualidad/analisis-diario/dolarizacion-en-argentina/
Ocampo, J. A., & Malagón, J. (2015). Colombian monetary and exchange rate policy over the past decade. Comparative Economic Studies, 57(3), 454-482. https://doi.org/10.1057/ces.2015.11
Palazzo, G., Rapetti, M., & Waldman, J. (2025). Stabilization programs in chronic-inflation countries: evidence from Latin America. Oxford Development Studies, 1-35. https://doi.org/10.1080/13600818.2025.2544259
Quispe-Agnoli, M., & Whisler, E. (2006). Official dollarization and the banking system in Ecuador and El Salvador. Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta Economic Review, 91(3), 55-71. https://www.atlantafed.org
Ravier, A. (2021). La dolarización como herramienta de cambio: Lecciones del milagro ecuatoriano. Instituto Juan de Mariana. https://juandemariana.org/ijm-actualidad/analisis-diario/la-dolarizacion-como-herramienta-de-cambio-lecciones-del-milagro-ecuatoriano/
Ravier, A. (2022). Respuestas a tres grupos de críticos de la dolarización argentina. Instituto Juan de Mariana. https://juandemariana.org/ijm-actualidad/analisis-diario/respuestas-a-tres-grupos-de-criticos-de-la-dolarizacion-argentina/
Ravier, A. (2023). Frente a los 200 economistas que se oponen a la dolarización. Instituto Juan de Mariana. https://juandemariana.org/ijm-actualidad/analisis-diario/reflexiones-ante-la-carta-de-200-economistas-que-se-oponen-a-la-dolarizacion/
Sarmiento-Paucar, R. F., Ayala-Cadena, A. A. y Espín-Salambay, N. J. (2023). Dolarización e inflación en Ecuador. Iste Scientist, 2(02), 1-10. https://revistas.iste.edu.ec/index.php/reviste/article/view/22
Starr, M. (2003). One country, one currency: Arguments for and against dollarization. Journal of Economic Issues, 37(3), 663-675. https://doi.org/10.1080/00213264.2003.11506595
Topuz, S. G. (2022). The relationship between income inequality and economic growth: Are transmission channels effective? Social Indicators Research, 162(3), 1177–1231. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11205-022-02882-0
Tuasa, S. E. Y. (2023). Dollarization in Ecuador, economic growth, trade balance, impact on Ecuadorian foreign trade. Advances in Science, Technology and Innovation, Part F1589, 233–237. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-34256-1_41
Van Niekerk, A. J. (2025). A challenge of sustainability: The US Economy, De-dollarization and the BRICS Plan. In West to East: A New Global Economy in the Making?, 37–71. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-93267-0_2
World Bank. (2010). World Development Indicators (historical database). https://databank.worldbank.org
World Bank. (2023). World Development Indicators (WDI). https://databank.worldbank.org
World Bank. (2024). World Development Indicators (WDI) – Ecuador: Gini index y GDP per capita (current USD). World Bank Data. https://databank.worldbank.org
Ybrayev, Z. (2022). Distributional consequences of monetary policy in emerging economies: Dollarization, domestic inflation, and income divergence. Comparative Economic Studies, 64(2), 186–210. https://doi.org/10.1057/S41294-021-00163-2/METRICS
Yousfani, K., Iftikhar, H., Rodrigues, P. C., Armas, E. A. T., & López-Gonzales, J. L. (2025). Global shocks and local fragilities: A financial stress index approach to Pakistan’s monetary and asset market dynamics. Economies, 13(8), 243. https://doi.org/10.3390/ECONOMIES13080243
Zuluaga, J. D. P. (2020). El sistema Bretton Woods, una estrategia estadounidense de dominación mundial. Fondo monetario internacional, banco mundial y el dólar en la segunda mitad del siglo XX. Revista de Estudiantes de Ciencia Política, 15, 96-109. https://revistas.udea.edu.co/index.php/recp/article/view/346923
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Economy and Politics Journal

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
The Journal declines any responsibility for possible conflicts derived from the authorship of the works that are published in it.
The University of Cuenca in Ecuador conserves the patrimonial rights (copyright) of the published works and will favor the reuse of the same ones, these can be: copy, use, diffuse, transmit and expose publicly.
Unless otherwise indicated, all contents of the electronic edition are distributed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.



