Income distribution and poverty through crisis and adjustment

Oscar Altimir

Revista CEPAL, 2008

Abstract: This article analyses the costs in terms of income distribution of the crisis and adjustments of the 1980s, as well as the effects of the subsequent recovery and resumption of sustained growth patterns. This analysis is based on comparable pairs of estimates of income distribution and poverty prepared by ECLAC for the ten largest and predominantly urban countries of the region. The method of analysis consists, on the one hand, of comparing the changes in distribution and in the macroeconomic and labour market variables during similar macroeconomic phases in the course of the adjustment process in different countries and, on the other hand, of comparing the income distribution situations in each country before and after the adjustment. It is concluded that although economic recovery and the reduction of inflation are relieving poverty situations, medium-term growth without an improvement in income distribution will cause the process of reducing poverty to be excessively prolonged, and there are grounds for believing that the new form of operation and the new rules followed by public policy in these economies may involve still greater inequalities as regards income distribution.

Date: 2008-12
Note: Includes bibliography
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

Downloads: (external link)
http://repositorio.cepal.org/handle/11362/11340

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:ecr:col070:11340

Access Statistics for this article

More articles in Revista CEPAL from Naciones Unidas Comisión Económica para América Latina y el Caribe (CEPAL) Contact information at EDIRC.
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Biblioteca CEPAL ().