O crescimento econômico dos municípios mineiros tem sido pró-pobre? Uma análise para o período 1991-2000 [Has economic growth in the municipalities of Minas Gerais been pro-poor? An analysis for the period 1991-2000]

The main goal of this paper is to analyze the relation between economic growth and poverty from a qualitative point of view. In other words, it seeks to analyze how economic growth in Minas Gerais municipalities proved to be an efficient mechanism of poverty reduction between 1991-2000. Results showed diversity in the state of Minas Gerais. There are regions with good quality of economic growth, where "poverty-growth" elasticity is high; that is, there is a greater capacity to reduce poverty for a determined growth rate. This result is explained not only for lower intensity of poverty, but also for greater impact of economic growth on the poor, that is, "quality" of city growth. On the other hand, there are regions with low quality of economic growth where "poverty-growth" elasticity is low. Finally, trends of socioeconomic characteristics of each of the four economic growth classes were analyzed.