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A short episodic history of income distribution in Argentina

Author

Listed:
  • Facundo Alvaredo

    (PSE - Paris School of Economics - UP1 - Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne - ENS-PSL - École normale supérieure - Paris - PSL - Université Paris Sciences et Lettres - EHESS - École des hautes études en sciences sociales - ENPC - École des Ponts ParisTech - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique - INRAE - Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement, PJSE - Paris Jourdan Sciences Economiques - UP1 - Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne - ENS-PSL - École normale supérieure - Paris - PSL - Université Paris Sciences et Lettres - INRA - Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique - EHESS - École des hautes études en sciences sociales - ENPC - École des Ponts ParisTech - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique)

  • Guillermo Cruces

    (CONICET - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas [Buenos Aires], CEDLAS - Centro de Estudios Distributivos, Laborales y Sociales - UNLP - Universidad Nacional de la Plata [Argentine])

  • Leonardo Gasparini

    (CEDLAS - Centro de Estudios Distributivos, Laborales y Sociales - UNLP - Universidad Nacional de la Plata [Argentine], CONICET - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas [Buenos Aires])

Abstract

In this paper, we use tax and household survey data to assess the history of income distribution in Argentina since the beginning of the 20th century. Until the 1970s, the country experienced a fall in inequality in spite of lower income growth. Since then, inequality has generally increased possibly as a result of large-scale shocks such as macroeconomic crises and reform attempts, resulting in a convergence towards traditionally more unequal neighboring countries.

Suggested Citation

  • Facundo Alvaredo & Guillermo Cruces & Leonardo Gasparini, 2018. "A short episodic history of income distribution in Argentina," PSE-Ecole d'économie de Paris (Postprint) hal-01784299, HAL.
    • Handle: RePEc:hal:pseptp:hal-01784299
    DOI: 10.1007/s40503-017-0048-3
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    2. Facundo Alvaredo & François Bourguignon & Francisco Ferreira & Nora Lustig, 2024. "Inequality bands: Seventy-five years of measuring income inequality in latin america," Working Papers halshs-04563817, HAL.
    3. Eric C. Edwards & Martin Fiszbein & Gary D. Libecap, 2022. "Property Rights to Land and Agricultural Organization: An Argentina–United States Comparison," Journal of Law and Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 65(S1), pages 1-33.
    4. Escamilla-Guerrero, David & López-Alonso, Moramay, 2023. "Migrant Self-Selection and Random Shocks: Evidence from the Panic of 1907," The Journal of Economic History, Cambridge University Press, vol. 83(1), pages 45-85, March.
    5. Andrés Blanco & Bernardo Diaz de Astarloa & Andres Drenik & Christian Moser & Danilo R. Trupkin, 2022. "The evolution of the earnings distribution in a volatile economy: Evidence from Argentina," Quantitative Economics, Econometric Society, vol. 13(4), pages 1361-1403, November.
    6. Puig Julian Mariano, 2023. "Pobreza Energética en Argentina," Asociación Argentina de Economía Política: Working Papers 4687, Asociación Argentina de Economía Política.
    7. Julián Martinez Correa & Carlo Lombardo & Belén Bentivegna, 2018. "Convenio Colectivo, Sindicatos y Dispersión Salarial: Evidencia de Argentina," CEDLAS, Working Papers 0232, CEDLAS, Universidad Nacional de La Plata.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Argentine exceptionalism; Argentine history; Inequality; Redistribution;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • N16 - Economic History - - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics; Industrial Structure; Growth; Fluctuations - - - Latin America; Caribbean
    • D63 - Microeconomics - - Welfare Economics - - - Equity, Justice, Inequality, and Other Normative Criteria and Measurement
    • O15 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Economic Development: Human Resources; Human Development; Income Distribution; Migration
    • D31 - Microeconomics - - Distribution - - - Personal Income and Wealth Distribution
    • D33 - Microeconomics - - Distribution - - - Factor Income Distribution

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