Social Spending, Taxes and Income Redistribution in Paraguay

Sean Higgins, Nora Lustig, Julio Ramirez and William Swanson
Additional contact information
Sean Higgins: Stone Center for Latin American Studies, Department of Economics, Tulane University, Commitment to Equity Institute (CEQI).
Julio Ramirez: CADEP
William Swanson: UC Davis

No 11, Commitment to Equity (CEQ) Working Paper Series from Tulane University, Department of Economics

Abstract: How much redistribution does Paraguay accomplish through social spending and taxes? How progressive are revenue collection and social spending? Using a standard fiscal incidence analysis, we quantify the reduction in inequality and poverty in Paraguay across income concepts, and contextualize these results by placing Paraguay in comparative perspective with other Latin American countries. Paraguay achieves a relatively small reduction in inequality, even when in-kind education and health benefits are taken into account. Direct taxes are progressive, indirect taxes are regressive, and total taxes are regressive. Social spending is progressive in relative terms, but less so than in any of the other countries analyzed.

Keywords: inequality; poverty; Paraguay; social spending; taxes (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: D31 H22 I32 I38 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 37 pages
Date: 2013-11
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (53)

Published in Commitment to Equity, November 2013, pages 1-39

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http://repec.tulane.edu/RePEc/ceq/ceq11.pdf First version, 2013 (application/pdf)

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