Latin America is known to have income inequality among the highest in the world. That inequality has been invoked to explain low growth, poor education, macroeconomic volatility, and political instability. But new research shows that inequality in the region is falling. In this paper, we...

This paper presents evidence on the impact of economic crisis on poverty and inequality in Latin America. Crises not only result in higher poverty rates but also may cause irreversible damage to the human capital of the poor. In light of this evidence, the author concludes that crisis avoidance...

The objective of this book is to provide policy recommendations to reduce the economic vulnerability of the poor to adverse shocks and help them cope with income downturns. The authors suggest that, social equity arguments aside, insuring the poor is desirable in terms of economic efficiency....

This book addresses questions of international trade policy and the relationship between growth, distribution, and human resource development in the Latin American region.Abstract: Este libro presenta un análisis de cuestiones sobre comercio internacional y la relación entre crecimiento,...

This handbook presents a step-by-step guide to applying the incidence analysis used in the multi-country project CEQ. We define the pre- and post-net transfers income concepts, discuss the methodological assumptions used to construct them, explain how taxes, subsidies and transfers should be...

How much redistribution does Paraguay accomplish through social spending and taxes? How progressive are revenue collection and social spending? Using a standard fiscal incidence analysis, we quantify the reduction in inequality and poverty in Paraguay across income concepts, and contextualize...

We apply a standard tax and benefit incidence analysis to estimate the impact on inequality and poverty of direct taxes, indirect taxes and subsidies, and social spending (cash and food transfers and in-kind transfers in education and health). The extent of inequality reduction induced by direct...

Taxes and transfers can have significant impacts on poverty and inequality. All standard measures are by definition anonymous in the sense that we do not know the identity of winners and losers. That a given combination of taxes and transfers makes some of the poor poorer, however, may be...

The objective of this book is to provide policy recommendations to reduce the economic vulnerability of the poor to adverse shocks and help them cope with income downturns. The authors suggest that, social equity arguments aside, insuring the poor is desirable in terms of economic efficiency....