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Financial Development and the Distribution of Income in Latin America and the Caribbean

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  • Canavire Bacarreza, Gustavo J.

    (World Bank)

  • Rioja, Felix

    (Georgia State University)

Abstract

One of the central concerns in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) has been the reduction of poverty and inequality so prevalent in the continent. Using large world samples, the literature has found that financial development increases economic growth, increases the income of the poor, and reduces inequality. This paper studies the effects of financial development on the whole distribution of income in LAC. We find that the income of the poorest quintile has not been affected by expansion in the financial system. However, we do find that financial development has had a disproportionate positive effect on the incomes of the second, third and fourth quintiles. We also find some evidence for the Greenwood-Jovanovic (1991) hypothesis that this positive effect only begins after a country crosses a certain economic development threshold.

Suggested Citation

  • Canavire Bacarreza, Gustavo J. & Rioja, Felix, 2008. "Financial Development and the Distribution of Income in Latin America and the Caribbean," IZA Discussion Papers 3796, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    • Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp3796
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Muhammad Shahbaz & Mita Bhattacharya & Mantu Kumar Mahalik, 2017. "Finance and income inequality in Kazakhstan: evidence since transition with policy suggestions," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 49(52), pages 5337-5351, November.
    2. Muhammad Shahbaz & Nanthakumar Loganathan & Aviral Tiwari & Reza Sherafatian-Jahromi, 2015. "Financial Development and Income Inequality: Is There Any Financial Kuznets Curve in Iran?," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 124(2), pages 357-382, November.
    3. Muhammad Shahbaz, 2013. "Financial Development, Economics Growth, Income Inequality Nexus: A Case Study of Pakistan," International Journal of Economics and Empirical Research (IJEER), The Economics and Social Development Organization (TESDO), vol. 1(3), pages 24-47, March.
    4. Guanchun Liu & Yuanyuan Liu & Chengsi Zhang, 2017. "Financial Development, Financial Structure and Income Inequality in China," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 40(9), pages 1890-1917, September.
    5. Nimet Melis Esenyel İçen, 2024. "Investigation of Parabolic Relationship Between Financial Development and Income Inequality using U Test: Analysis of Financial Curve in Türkiye," Journal of Economic Policy Researches, Istanbul University, Faculty of Economics, vol. 11(2), pages 355-369, July.
    6. Zahra (Mila) Elmi & Faezeh Ariani, 2011. "Financial Development and the Distribution of Income in MENA," Iranian Economic Review (IER), Faculty of Economics,University of Tehran.Tehran,Iran, vol. 16(1), pages 1-11, winter.
    7. Mohammad Masudur Rahman & Guan Fuquan & Laila Arjuman Ara, 2019. "Nonlinear Dynamics in the Finance-Inequality Nexus in China-CHNS Data," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(1), pages 1-12, January.
    8. Tiwari, Aviral Kumar & Shahbaz, Muhammad, 2010. "Does financial development increase rural-urban income inequality? Cointegration analysis in the case of Indian economy," MPRA Paper 27093, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    9. Muhammad Shahbaz & Faridul Islam, 2011. "Financial Development And Income Inequality In Pakistan: An Application Of Ardl Approach," Journal of Economic Development, Chung-Ang Unviersity, Department of Economics, vol. 36(1), pages 35-58, March.
    10. Cigdem KARIS & Dilek Cil, 2024. "The Impact of Financial Development on Income Inequality: Evidence from OECD Countries," Istanbul Business Research, Istanbul University Business School, vol. 53(1), pages 103-118, April.
    11. Aviral Kumar Tiwari & Muhammad Shahbaz & Faridul Islam, 2013. "Does financial development increase rural‐urban income inequality?," International Journal of Social Economics, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 40(2), pages 151-168, January.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    financial development; distribution of income; inequality;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • O11 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Macroeconomic Analyses of Economic Development
    • O16 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Financial Markets; Saving and Capital Investment; Corporate Finance and Governance
    • G00 - Financial Economics - - General - - - General

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