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The Latin American Middle Class: Fragile After All?

Author

Listed:
  • Castellani, Francesca
  • Parent, Gwenn
  • Zenteno, Jannet

Abstract

This paper joins in the debate on the size of the middle class in Latin America, providing an analysis of its structure and characteristics. Using several measurements, it finds that 40-60 percent of Latin American households are middle class, a share which has consolidated over the past decade. The analysis reveals that gender, age, and education are associated with the likelihood of being middle class. The example of Colombia illustrates that, while growing in size, this income group still faces deficits in crucial dimensions of well-being, such as education, job formality, and health care, which are generally associated with being middle class. The analysis reveals the fragility of this emerging group in the region.

Suggested Citation

  • Castellani, Francesca & Parent, Gwenn & Zenteno, Jannet, 2014. "The Latin American Middle Class: Fragile After All?," IDB Publications (Working Papers) 6733, Inter-American Development Bank.
    • Handle: RePEc:idb:brikps:6733
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Lina Martínez & John Rennie Short & Maria Isabel Zafra, 2019. "A Fragile Hold on Consumption: Consumption and the New Middle Class in Colombia," Review of European Studies, Canadian Center of Science and Education, vol. 11(3), pages 1-73, December.
    2. Sébastien CARRERE & Matthieu CLEMENT & François COMBARNOUS & Gabriel KESSLER & Eric ROUGIER & Ariel WILKIS, 2022. "The middle class in Argentina: dynamics, characteristics and implications for public policies," Working Paper 83de5468-cd86-4702-a4a8-6, Agence française de développement.
    3. Matthieu Clément & Yves-André Faure & Jean-Philippe Berrou & François Combarnous & Dominique Darbon & Eric Rougier, 2018. "Anatomie de la classe moyenne brésilienne : identification, caractérisation et implications pour les politiques publiques," Working Papers hal-02147850, HAL.
    4. Jean-Philippe Berrou & Matthieu Clément & François Combarnous & Dominique Darbon & Yves-André Faure & Eric Rougier, 2019. "L’essor des classes moyennes dans les pays en développement et émergents : une étude comparative des enjeux d’identification, de caractérisation et de politiques publiques," Working Papers hal-02147531, HAL.
    5. Ajzenman, Nicolás & Balza, Lenin & Bejarano, Hernan & De Los Rios, Camilo & Gómez Parra, Nicolás, 2023. "Seemingly irrelevant factors and willingness to block polluting investments," IDB Publications (Working Papers) 13325, Inter-American Development Bank.
    6. Clément, Matthieu & Rougier, Eric & Berrou, Jean-Philippe & Combarnous, François & Darbon, Dominique, 2022. "“What’s in the middle”: Scratching beneath the surface of the middle class(es) in Brazil, Côte d’Ivoire, Turkey and Vietnam," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 158(C).

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Middle class;

    JEL classification:

    • D - Microeconomics
    • I - Health, Education, and Welfare

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