The relationship between firms and inequality has been a focus of recent attention globally. This chapter summarizes basic facts about this relationship for Latin America. Unlike advanced economies where superstar firm growth has prompted concerns over disproportionate income growth at the top,...

Using census data (for 1991 and 2000) for more than 5.000 municipalities, we examine the relationship between income per capita and inequality at the municipal level in Brazil. We uncover the existence of an “inverted-U” relationship in 1991 that flipped into a “straight-U” relationship...

There is a long-held belief that inequality is a major determinant of violent crime, particularly homicides. Some previous studies suggest that these results hold in the short term only. This could result from measurement error in income inequality. This study addresses the issue of measurement...

This One Pager presents simulations for the future of non-contributory transfers in Brazil, discussing the dilemmas of various designs and estimating costs and possible impacts on poverty and inequality. The authors also analyse a series of operational and budget-related challenges to...

Regional inequality may hinder national development, which is disconcerting for Brazil as one of the world's most unequal countries. This chapter compiles new and existing state-level estimates of per capita Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in Brazil and examines their dispersion over the time...