Social Discount Rates for Seventeen Latin American Countries: Theory and Parameter Estimation

Abstract

This article presents new estimates of social discount rates (SDRs) for seventeen Latin American countries for use in public project evaluation. We derive the SDRs based on the social rate of time preference method and provide the required parameter values. These rates range from 2.14 percent for Paraguay to 5.83 percent for Chile. The unweighted average recommended rate is 3.77 percent, which is close to the rates mandated by most European countries. We also review current governments’ SDR practices worldwide, including Latin America, and find that the proposed country-specific SDRs are significantly lower and less dispersed across countries than the rates most Latin American countries currently recommend. Using four archetypal projects profiles, we show the potential impact on the net present values of varying important parameters, including growth rates.