IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/plo/pone00/0323409.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Socioeconomic inequalities in Chile during the COVID-19 pandemic: A regional analysis of income poverty

Author

Listed:
  • Iris Delgado
  • Sushma Dahal
  • Maria I Matute
  • Paola A Rubilar Ramírez
  • Svenn-Erik Mamelund
  • Gerardo Chowell

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic caused an unprecedented economic crisis, intensifying poverty levels in Latin America, particularly in Chile. This study examines the short- and long-term socioeconomic impacts of COVID-19 on income poverty in Chile, focusing on regional disparities, rurality, ethnicity, educational attainment, and immigration. Using data from the Chile National Socioeconomic Characterization Survey (CASEN) for 2017, 2020, and 2022, we analyzed poverty trends across the pre-pandemic, pandemic, and post-pandemic periods. We employed spatial clustering techniques with Local Moran’s I to detect poverty hotspots and applied logistic regression models to identify key sociodemographic factors associated with these hotspots. Our results reveal stark regional disparities, with disproportionately higher poverty rates among rural populations, Indigenous communities, and individuals with lower education levels or immigrant backgrounds. The proportion of individuals in poverty hotspots rose from 6.8% in 2017 to 8.6% in 2020, before slightly declining to 7.7% in 2022. Although emergency monetary subsidies helped reduce overall poverty from 10.8% in 2020 to 6.5% in 2022, these measures were insufficient to address deep-rooted structural inequalities. Our findings underscore the urgent need for targeted, long-term policies that go beyond temporary financial assistance and tackle systemic disparities linked to rurality, ethnicity, education, and immigration. Such measures are essential for achieving sustainable poverty reduction and fostering inclusive economic growth in Chile.

Suggested Citation

  • Iris Delgado & Sushma Dahal & Maria I Matute & Paola A Rubilar Ramírez & Svenn-Erik Mamelund & Gerardo Chowell, 2025. "Socioeconomic inequalities in Chile during the COVID-19 pandemic: A regional analysis of income poverty," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 20(5), pages 1-14, May.
  • Handle: RePEc:plo:pone00:0323409
    DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0323409
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0323409
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0323409&type=printable
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1371/journal.pone.0323409?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Rofman, Rafael & Baliña, Joaquín & López Méndez, Emanuel, 2022. "Evaluating the Impact of COVID-19 on Pension Systems in Latin America and the Caribbean: The Case of Argentina," IDB Publications (Working Papers) 12467, Inter-American Development Bank.
    2. Paul Glewwe & Margaret Grosh, 2000. "Designing Household Survey Questionnaires for Developing Countries : Lessons from 15 Years of the Living Standards Measurement Study, Volume 2," World Bank Publications - Books, The World Bank Group, number 15194, April.
    3. Paul Glewwe & Margaret Grosh, 2000. "Designing Household Survey Questionnaires for Developing Countries : Lessons from 15 Years of the Living Standards Measurement Study, Volume 3," World Bank Publications - Books, The World Bank Group, number 15195, April.
    4. World Bank, 2022. "Poverty and Shared Prosperity 2022," World Bank Publications - Books, The World Bank Group, number 37739, April.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Barik, Debasis & Desai, Sonalde & Vanneman, Reeve, 2018. "Economic Status and Adult Mortality in India: Is the Relationship Sensitive to Choice of Indicators?," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 103(C), pages 176-187.
    2. Van Landeghem, Bert & Vandeplas, Anneleen, 2018. "The relationship between status and happiness: Evidence from the caste system in rural India," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics (formerly The Journal of Socio-Economics), Elsevier, vol. 77(C), pages 62-71.
    3. Leandro De Magalhães & Dongya Koh & Raül Santaeulàlia-Llopis, 2016. "Consumption and Expenditure in Sub-Saharan Africa," Bristol Economics Discussion Papers 16/677, School of Economics, University of Bristol, UK, revised 07 Oct 2016.
    4. Reena Badiani, 2007. "Changes in Living Standards in Villages in India 1975-2004: Revisiting the ICRISAT Village Level Studies," Working Papers id:1172, eSocialSciences.
    5. Xiaowei Yang & Jianmin Gao & Zhongliang Zhou & Jue Yan & Sha Lai & Yongjian Xu & Gang Chen, 2016. "Assessing the Effects of the New Cooperative Medical Scheme on Alleviating the Health Payment-Induced Poverty in Shaanxi Province, China," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 11(7), pages 1-12, July.
    6. Leandro DE MAGALHÃES & Dongya KOH & Räul SANTAEULILA-LLOPIS, 2019. "The Cost of Consumption Smoothing: Less Schooling and less Nutrition," JODE - Journal of Demographic Economics, Cambridge University Press, vol. 85(3), pages 181-208, September.
    7. Reutzel, Fabian, 2024. "The grass is always greener on the other side: (Unfair) inequality and support for democracy," European Journal of Political Economy, Elsevier, vol. 85(C).
    8. Wiseman, Virginia & Scott, Anthony & Conteh, Lesong & McElroy, Brendan & Stevens, Warren, 2008. "Determinants of provider choice for malaria treatment: Experiences from The Gambia," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 67(4), pages 487-496, August.
    9. Philippe De Vreyer & Sylvie Lambert, 2021. "Inequality, Poverty, and the Intra-Household Allocation of Consumption in Senegal," The World Bank Economic Review, World Bank, vol. 35(2), pages 414-435.
    10. Magnus Lindelow, 2008. "Health as a Family Matter: Do Intra-household Education Externalities Matter for Maternal and Child Health?," Journal of Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 44(4), pages 562-585, April.
    11. Kojo Sarfo Gyamfi & Elena Gaura & James Brusey & Alessandro Bezerra Trindade & Nandor Verba, 2020. "Understanding Household Fuel Choice Behaviour in the Amazonas State, Brazil: Effects of Validation and Feature Selection," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(15), pages 1-21, July.
    12. Stefan Dercon & Kate Orkin & Mahreen Mahmud & Robert Garlick & Johannes Haushofer & Richard Sedlmayr, 2023. "Aspiring to a better future: can a simple psychological intervention reduce poverty?," CSAE Working Paper Series 2023-12, Centre for the Study of African Economies, University of Oxford.
    13. Richard Palmer-Jones, 2010. "Handbook on impact evaluation: quantitative methods and practices, by S.R. Khandker, G.B. Koolwal and H.A. Samad," Journal of Development Effectiveness, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 2(3), pages 387-390.
    14. Johannes Hoogeveen & Andrew Dabalen & Elvis Mushi & Alvin Etang & Youdi Schipper & Johannes von Engelhardt, 2016. "Mobile Phone Panel Surveys in Developing Countries," World Bank Publications - Books, The World Bank Group, number 24595, April.
    15. Samuel Mburu & Steffen Otterbach & Alfonso Sousa-Poza & Andrew Mude, 2017. "Income and Asset Poverty among Pastoralists in Northern Kenya," Journal of Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 53(6), pages 971-986, June.
    16. Jonas L. Appelt & Latsamy Siengsounthone & Sengaloun Phonekeo & Dirk Essink & Peter H. Verburg & Jasper van Vliet, 2025. "Trade‐offs and synergies between dimensions of well‐being among smallholder farmers in Savannakhet province, Lao PDR," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 33(1), pages 1441-1457, February.
    17. Sylvie Lambert & Philippe De Vreyer, 2017. "By ignoring intra-household inequality do we underestimate the extent of poverty?," Working Papers DT/2017/05, DIAL (Développement, Institutions et Mondialisation).
    18. Alejandro Caparros, 2011. "Mongolia," World Bank Publications - Reports 27326, The World Bank Group.
    19. D. Liliana González-Hernández & Raúl A. Aguirre-Gamboa & Erik W. Meijles, 2023. "The role of climate change perceptions and sociodemographics on reported mitigation efforts and performance among households in northeastern Mexico," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 25(2), pages 1853-1875, February.
    20. repec:lic:licosd:37516 is not listed on IDEAS
    21. Aleksandra Jakubowski & Katherine Snyman & Dalsone Kwarisiima & Norton Sang & Rachel Burger & Laura Balzer & Tamara Clark & Gabriel Chamie & Starley Shade & Craig Cohen & Elizabeth Bukusi & Edwin Char, 2018. "High CD4 counts associated with better economic outcomes for HIV-positive adults and their HIV-negative household members in the SEARCH Trial," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 13(6), pages 1-18, June.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:plo:pone00:0323409. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: plosone (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/ .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.