Mexico GDP Climbs 4.3% as Drug War Drags on Economy

Mexico’s economy expanded for the first time on an annual basis in more than a year even as escalating violence related to drug trafficking dents growth.

Gross domestic product grew 4.3 percent in the first quarter from a year earlier, the statistics agency said today. That exceeded a median estimate of 4 percent growth from 20 economists surveyed by Bloomberg. It was the first expansion on an annual basis since the third quarter of 2008.