Declining Inequality in Latin America

Luis F. López-Calva is chief economist at the Regional Bureau of Latin America and the Caribbean of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).Nora Lustig is Samuel Z. Stone Professor of Latin American Economics at Tulane University and a nonresident fellow at the Center for Global Development and the Inter- American Dialogue in Washington, D.C.

"Why is inequality finally declining in a region marked by uncommonly high —andpreviously persistent —income disparities? And what does it imply for the future? In thisexcellent book, López-Calva, Lustig, and their outstanding team of authors do not shyaway from the complexity inherent in the interaction of economics, policy, and politicsthat lay behind changes in the distribution of incomes." —Francisco H. G. Ferreira, Deputy Chief Economist for Latin America,World Bank|"A work of both exceptional scholarship and practical policy assessment on LatinAmerica's most intractable, and potentially explosive, challenge —the massive incomeand wealth inequality that characterizes most countries of the region. Its findings andconclusions should set the stage for distinguishing between serious policy efforts to buildmore equitable societies in Latin America and the demagoguery that pervades so muchof the region's politics." —Peter Hakim, President, Inter-American Dialogue|"This very important book documents a surprising decline in income inequalitythroughout much of Latin America and analyzes the long-term effects of educationexpansion and anti-poverty programs. Its findings have major implications for policy andpolitical economy analysis. It will be of great interest to anyone concerned with issues ofsocial development in Latin America, including economists, political scientists, and thepolicy community." —Robert Kaufman, Rutgers University|"An excellent and necessary book that will be welcomed by all interested in LatinAmerica's development.Through a mix of analytical essays, abundant empirical evidence,solid economic analysis, and individual country case studies, the contributors to thisvolume help us understand one of the most difficult and, until very recently, persistentfeatures of the region: high income inequality." —Santiago Levy, Vice President,Inter-American Development Bank.|"This important book shows how markets and policy are beginning to favor the poor inLatin America. Declining Inequality is a must-read for all those worried about the hugeeconomic distance between rich and poor in the world's most unequal place." —Jeffrey G. Williamson, Harvard University and University of Wisconsin