Hydrocarbons stimulate Peru's growth.

On June 15, 2005, Peru's National Statistics Institute (INEI) emailed the press to say that Peru's economy was growing.

The email featured news that in April 2005, Peru's GDP grew 6.4 percent more than the GDP level in April of 2004. The same kind of comparison in March 2005 showed that GDP advanced 4 percent more than the level of GDP in March 2004. Overall, Peru's economy grew 5.2 percent in the year ending April 2005. This measurement was also more than the GDP rate of growth for the year ending in March 2005. For the year April 2004 through March 2005, Peru's GDP grew 4.9 percent.

And where are Peru's consumers?

The INEI email, according to Bloomberg News, only provided industrial growth information - the main contributor to these favorable GDP statistics. Particularly important was the production of natural gas with Peru beginning to fill the Bolivia vacuum.

Agriculture and manufacturing were also mentioned as contributors to the growth.

INEI's Website, though, did list a 5.4 percent increase in the manufacture of consumer goods for the year ending in April 2005. This is, at least, some indication that the consumer sector is alive and well.