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A short episodic history of income distribution in Argentina

Author

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  • Facundo Alvaredo

    (Paris School of Economics)

  • Guillermo Cruces

    (CEDLAS-Universidad Nacional de La Plata and CONICET)

  • Leonardo Gasparini

    (CEDLAS-Universidad Nacional de La Plata and CONICET)

Abstract

In this paper, we use tax and household survey data to assess the history of income distribution in Argentina since the beginning of the 20th century. Until the 1970s, the country experienced a fall in inequality in spite of lower income growth. Since then, inequality has generally increased possibly as a result of large-scale shocks such as macroeconomic crises and reform attempts, resulting in a convergence towards traditionally more unequal neighboring countries.

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  • Facundo Alvaredo & Guillermo Cruces & Leonardo Gasparini, 2018. "A short episodic history of income distribution in Argentina," Latin American Economic Review, Springer;Centro de Investigaciòn y Docencia Económica (CIDE), vol. 27(1), pages 1-45, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:laecrv:v:27:y:2018:i:1:d:10.1007_s40503-017-0048-3
    DOI: 10.1007/s40503-017-0048-3
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    2. Andrés Blanco & Bernardo Diaz de Astarloa & Andres Drenik & Christian Moser & Danilo R. Trupkin, 2022. "The evolution of the earnings distribution in a volatile economy: Evidence from Argentina," Quantitative Economics, Econometric Society, vol. 13(4), pages 1361-1403, November.
    3. Puig Julian Mariano, 2023. "Pobreza Energética en Argentina," Asociación Argentina de Economía Política: Working Papers 4687, Asociación Argentina de Economía Política.
    4. Escamilla-Guerrero, David & López-Alonso, Moramay, 2023. "Migrant Self-Selection and Random Shocks: Evidence from the Panic of 1907," The Journal of Economic History, Cambridge University Press, vol. 83(1), pages 45-85, March.
    5. Sébastien CARRERE & Matthieu CLEMENT & François COMBARNOUS & Gabriel KESSLER & Eric ROUGIER & Ariel WILKIS, 2022. "The middle class in Argentina: dynamics, characteristics and implications for public policies," Working Paper 83de5468-cd86-4702-a4a8-6, Agence française de développement.
    6. Julián Martinez Correa & Carlo Lombardo & Belén Bentivegna, 2018. "Convenio Colectivo, Sindicatos y Dispersión Salarial: Evidencia de Argentina," CEDLAS, Working Papers 0232, CEDLAS, Universidad Nacional de La Plata.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Argentine exceptionalism; Argentine history; Inequality; Redistribution;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • N16 - Economic History - - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics; Industrial Structure; Growth; Fluctuations - - - Latin America; Caribbean
    • D63 - Microeconomics - - Welfare Economics - - - Equity, Justice, Inequality, and Other Normative Criteria and Measurement
    • O15 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Economic Development: Human Resources; Human Development; Income Distribution; Migration
    • D31 - Microeconomics - - Distribution - - - Personal Income and Wealth Distribution
    • D33 - Microeconomics - - Distribution - - - Factor Income Distribution

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