Middle classes and vulnerability to poverty: reflections from Latin America

Based on the definition of middle class as that population who face low probability of falling into poverty, we present some trends for Latin America. The percentage of middle class has increased significantly, from 21.9 percent in 2000 to 34.3 percent in 2012. Since 2009, the size of the middle cla...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Trimestre económico 2014-04, Vol.81 (2), p.281-307
Main Authors: López-Calva, Luis F, Cruces, Guillermo, Lach, Samantha, Ortiz-Juárez, Eduardo
Format: Article
Language:Spanish
Subjects:
Deforestation
Latin America
Middle class
Poor
Population
Poverty
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Summary:Based on the definition of middle class as that population who face low probability of falling into poverty, we present some trends for Latin America. The percentage of middle class has increased significantly, from 21.9 percent in 2000 to 34.3 percent in 2012. Since 2009, the size of the middle class is greater than that of the poor. Nevertheless, being part of the middle class in the region is still a privileged position. In fact, the poor and the vulnerable concentrate approximately two thirds of the region's population. In this sense, Latin America is most definitely not, at least not yet, a middle class society. // ABSTRACT IN SPANISH: A partir de una definición de clase media que incluye a personas con baja probabilidad de caer en pobreza, este artículo presenta algunas tendencias para América Latina. El porcentaje de personas en clase media ha aumentado de 21.9% en 2000 a 34.3% en 2012, y desde el 2009 el tamaño de la clase media es mayor que el porcentaje de personas en pobreza. No obstante, formar parte de la clase media en América Latina sigue siendo una posición privilegiada. Los grupos en pobreza y vulnerabilidad concentran aún alrededor de dos terceras partes de la población total de la región. En este sentido, la región no se puede considerar una sociedad de clase media, al menos no por el momento.
ISSN:0041-3011