Lima, Jan. 21 08.- The economic and social performance of the Andean Community has been positive in recent years, according to a preliminary report on the principal indicators of the CAN countries over the 2004-2007 period.

Production rose in the four Andean countries in 2007 at rates outpacing population growth.  In a performance similar to that of 2006, the Andean Community’s GDP showed growth in 2007 of 6.5% over that of the previous year.

At the same time, exports within the Community reached a record figure of 5 723 million dollars in 2007, in a confirmation of the upward trend noted not only over the 2004-2007 period, but ever since 1999.

The exports of the Andean Community countries, for their part, rose to 76 thousand million dollars in 2007, showing an increase of over 10 thousand million dollars a year over the last four years.  Their growth in Peru and Colombia, as compared with 2006, is noteworthy at 31 and 17 percent, respectively.

The social indicators also followed a positive trend.  The life expectancy of Andean dwellers at birth has been rising and is expected to average 72 years over the five year period of 2005-2010.

The overall fertility level has shown a significant reduction of from an average level of 6 children per women in 1970 to 3.6 in 1990 and 2.7 in 2005.