About the Review

Latin American inequality has persisted at exceptionally high levels despite clear social pressures for its reduction and the conviction, shared by many, that excessive inequality is detrimental to economic progress.

LACIR brings together high-level scholars to provide a coherent and comprehensive overview of the inequality problem in Latin America, through a mix of in-depth critical reviews of the literature, new data, and new analyses.

Our Review goes beyond a description of the region’s high inequality levels and seeks an understanding of why despite major structural economic and social change, Latin America’s inequality exceptionalism has persisted for probably the last 70 years.

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Approach

The LACIR panel commissioned background papers from a range of experts and produced two scholarly volumes:

One containing a selection of the commissioned studies, and another synthesizing the findings and conclusions of the panel itself. A series of conferences and workshops will be organized to collect and discuss the evidence and analysis under review.

LAC KEY FACTS

Income inequality:

Income inequality in LAC decreased, but it is still the higher than comparable economies

1990199019931993199619961999199920022002200520052008200820112011201420142017201750%50%40%40%30%30%20%20%10%10%0%0%Ratio of the Top 10% / Bottom 10% of Population
LAC
OECD
Similarly developed

Income share:

The richest top 1% holds the largest share of income

LAC
20.6%
OECD
9.9%
Similarly developed
11.7%

Redistribution:

Change in income inequality after taxes and transfers is lower than in developed countries

LAC
-3 Gini points
OECD + EU
-18 Gini points

Proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments

32.8%
2020

Enrolment in Higher education:

Enrolment in higher education substantially higher in high- than low-income population

1998
2014
LOW INCOMELOW INCOMEHIGH INCOMEHIGH INCOME12%46%27%72%80%80%60%60%40%40%20%20%

Jobs Informality:

Labour informality hits 80% among the poorest population

AverageAveragePoorestPoorestRichestRichest58%80%41%80%80%60%60%40%40%20%20%

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