The disparate evolution of multidimensional poverty, vulnerability, and horizontal inequalities in Uruguay

Alina Machado and Andrea Vigorito

Oxford Development Studies, 2025, vol. 53, issue 4, 442-469

Abstract: There is an ongoing discussion on the extent and limits of the decrease in deprivation and inequality experienced by Latin American countries in the period before the COVID-19 pandemic. To contribute to this debate, we carry out a multidimensional analysis of the evolution of poverty, vulnerability to poverty, and horizontal inequalities among the Uruguayan adult population between 2006 and 2018. Based on the results of a previous consultation process, we consider deprivation in six domains: education, health care, labour force status and social protection, housing, social cohesion, and life satisfaction/leisure-work balance. To capture these dimensions, we conducted two separate analyses, using data from official household surveys and a public opinion survey (Latinobarómetro). Our findings show that multidimensional poverty decreased at a much slower pace than monetary poverty (44.6% to 33% and 25.5% to 5.6%, respectively), and that in 2018, 28% of the adult population was at risk of experiencing multidimensional poverty in a worsened economic scenario. At the same time, our results show that despite the reduction in multidimensional poverty, multidimensional horizontal inequalities in terms of ethnic/racial origin, region and age group remained unchanged or, in the case of gender, even increased. These findings underscore the fragility that persisted even after a period of rapid economic growth and redistributive reforms.

Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1080/13600818.2025.2551304

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