Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) programs have become in many countries the largest social program and the framework upon which a social protection network is being built. These programs have more than 24 million beneficiaries in the Latin America and the Caribbean region and have been subject to...

Latin America and the Caribbean is one of the regions in the world with the greatest ethnic, racial and cultural diversity. This diversity is a major asset that holds the key to achieving lasting economic and political stability and constructing a fair, cohesive and democratic society. However,...

This is the latest version available of "Do We Know What Works": A Systematic Review of Impact Evaluations of Social Programs in Latin America and the Caribbean¿. The document reviews social programs placing emphasis on extracting lessons from those that have been evaluated in order to assess...

This study combines survey data with annual state data on pupil-teacher ratios covering broadly the period 1940-90 to investigate the role of race, family background and education (both the quantity and quality) in explaining earnings inequality between whites and the African descendent...

This paper highlights the importance of youth entrepreneurship in Latin America and the Caribbean, as well as the challenges and opportunities faced by young entrepreneurs. The authors analyze the differences between youth who become entrepreneurs by necessity or by opportunity, and also review...

In recent years, microfinance has greatly expanded the outreach of the financial system to millions of households in the Latin American and Caribbean region. The purpose of this report is to offer an updated snapshot of access to financial services in the region. The approach is two-fold. In the...

This paper provides an initial glimpse into the performance of the insurance industry in the region through the use of a broad diagnostic survey. It also provides some descriptive statistics based on survey data. Survey information is used to identify variables and factors affecting insurance...

Despite the significant increases in social spending in Guyana over the past several years, little is known about the impact of socioeconomic interventions including targeting efficiency and program benefits. The 2005-6 Household Budget Survey (HBS) and 2006 Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey...

En años recientes Paraguay ha experimentado un periodo de crecimiento positivo en su producto interno bruto. Incluso en términos per cápita el crecimiento en los últimos cinco años fue en promedio 2.4 por ciento. Este crecimiento fue acompañado de una reducción constante en las tasas de...