MONTEVIDEO, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) -- Uruguay's gross domestic product (GDP) is expected to grow 4.5 percent in 2021, Minister of Economy and Finance Azucena Arbeleche said Tuesday, and the Central Bank of Uruguay will officially release the growth rate on March 23.

During an economic forum in Montevideo, Arbeleche highlighted the fact that the manufacturing industry and exports of goods saw record growth of 11.55 billion U.S. dollars.

"These are some of the leading indicators that show activity has been very dynamic in the fourth quarter and throughout 2021," she said.

Arbeleche also noted that 80 percent of jobs lost in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic were recovered last year, in addition to about 50,000 people getting out of poverty in the first half of 2021.

"This is a product of the increased activity that we are estimating, the increased employment and the targeted measures that the executive branch has carried out to help mitigate the impact of the pandemic," she said.