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The structural constraints of income inequality in Latin America

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  • Dominik Hartmann
  • Cristian Jara-Figueroa
  • Miguel Guevara
  • Alex Simoes
  • C'esar A. Hidalgo

Abstract

Recent work has shown that a country's productive structure constrains its level of economic growth and income inequality. Here, we compare the productive structure of countries in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) with that of China and other High-Performing Asian Economies (HPAE) to expose the increasing gap in their productive capabilities. Moreover, we use the product space and the Product Gini Index to reveal the structural constraints on income inequality. Our network maps reveal that HPAE have managed to diversify into products typically produced by countries with low levels of income inequality, while LAC economies have remained dependent on products related to high levels of income inequality. We also introduce the Xgini, a coefficient that captures the constraints on income inequality imposed by the mix of products a country makes. Finally, we argue that LAC countries need to emphasize a smart combination of social and economic policies to overcome the structural constraints for inclusive growth.

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  • Dominik Hartmann & Cristian Jara-Figueroa & Miguel Guevara & Alex Simoes & C'esar A. Hidalgo, 2017. "The structural constraints of income inequality in Latin America," Papers 1701.03770, arXiv.org, revised Jan 2017.
    • Handle: RePEc:arx:papers:1701.03770
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    Cited by:

    1. Gnangnon, Sèna Kimm, 2020. "Aid for Trade flows and Poverty Reduction in Recipient-Countries," EconStor Preprints 213807, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics.
    2. Hartmann, Dominik & Bezerra, Mayra & Lodolo, Beatrice & Pinheiro, Flávio L., 2019. "International trade, development traps, and the core-periphery structure of income inequality," Hohenheim Discussion Papers in Business, Economics and Social Sciences 01-2019, University of Hohenheim, Faculty of Business, Economics and Social Sciences.
    3. Diogo Ferraz & Fernanda P. S. Falguera & Enzo B. Mariano & Dominik Hartmann, 2021. "Linking Economic Complexity, Diversification, and Industrial Policy with Sustainable Development: A Structured Literature Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(3), pages 1-29, January.
    4. Hartmann, Dominik & Jara-Figueroa, Cristian & Kaltenberg, Mary & Gala, Paulo, 2019. "Mapping stratification: The industry-occupation space reveals the network structure of inequality," Hohenheim Discussion Papers in Business, Economics and Social Sciences 06-2019, University of Hohenheim, Faculty of Business, Economics and Social Sciences.
    5. Chien-Chiang Lee & En-Ze Wang, 2021. "Economic Complexity and Income Inequality: Does Country Risk Matter?," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 154(1), pages 35-60, February.
    6. Ibolya Török & József Benedek & Manuel Gómez-Zaldívar, 2022. "Quantifying Subnational Economic Complexity: Evidence from Romania," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(17), pages 1-22, August.
    7. Ferraz, Diogo & Moralles, Hérick Fernando & Suarez Campoli, Jéssica & Ribeiro de Oliveira, Fabíola Cristina & do Nascimento Rebelatto, Daisy Aparecida, 2018. "Economic Complexity and Human Development: DEA performance measurement in Asia and Latin America," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 25(4), pages 839-853.
    8. Dominik Hartmann & Cristian Jara-Figueroa & Cesar Hidalgo, 2017. "Is a country's ability to generate and distribute income determined by its productive structure?," One Pager 369, International Policy Centre for Inclusive Growth.
    9. Kang-Kook Lee & Trung V. Vu, 2020. "Economic complexity, human capital and income inequality: a cross-country analysis," The Japanese Economic Review, Springer, vol. 71(4), pages 695-718, October.
    10. Andersson, Martin & Palacio, Andrés & von Borries, Alvaro, 2022. "Why has economic shrinking receded in Latin America? A social capability approach," Lund Papers in Economic History 236, Lund University, Department of Economic History.
    11. Emilie Le Caous & Fenghueih Huarng, 2020. "Economic Complexity and the Mediating Effects of Income Inequality: Reaching Sustainable Development in Developing Countries," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(5), pages 1-26, March.
    12. Albassam, Bassam A., 2019. "Building an effective knowledge management system in Saudi Arabia using the principles of good governance," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 64(C).
    13. Hamid Sepehrdoust & Mohsen Tartar & Aliakbar Gholizadeh, 2022. "Economic complexity, scientific productivity and income inequality in developing economies," Economics of Transition and Institutional Change, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 30(4), pages 737-752, October.
    14. Felipe G Operti & Emanuele Pugliese & José S Andrade Jr. & Luciano Pietronero & Andrea Gabrielli, 2018. "Dynamics in the Fitness-Income plane: Brazilian states vs World countries," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 13(6), pages 1-20, June.
    15. Margarida Bandeira Morais & J. Swart & J.A. Jordaan, 2018. "Economic Complexity and Inequality: Does Productive Structure Affect Regional Wage Differentials in Brazil?," Working Papers 18-11, Utrecht School of Economics.

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