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Inequality of Opportunities at Early Ages: Evidence from Chile

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  • Dante Contreras
  • Esteban Puentes

Abstract

This paper examines inequality of opportunity for Chilean children starting from an early age. It uses a psychometric test designed to assess children’s receptive vocabulary (PPVT), height, and weight as opportunity measures. We consider traditional circumstances such as parental income and educational level, but improve on the previous literature including mother’s cognitive skills in our assessment. Our results indicate that Chilean children do not exhibit significant differences in height or weight either as newborns or at two to four years old. Nevertheless, there is evidence of inequality of opportunities for vocabulary skills. Maternal cognitive ability is the greatest contributor. Finally, the evidence also suggests that inequality of opportunity on vocabulary skills increases with age.

Suggested Citation

  • Dante Contreras & Esteban Puentes, 2017. "Inequality of Opportunities at Early Ages: Evidence from Chile," Journal of Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 53(10), pages 1748-1764, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:jdevst:v:53:y:2017:i:10:p:1748-1764
    DOI: 10.1080/00220388.2016.1262025
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. repec:wbk:wbpubs:2580 is not listed on IDEAS
    2. Saavedra-Chanduví, Jaime & Molinas, José R. & De Barros, Ricardo Paes & Ferreira, Francisco H. G., 2009. "Measuring Inequality of Opportunities in Latin America and the Caribbean," IDB Publications (Books), Inter-American Development Bank, number 361.
    3. Ricardo Paes de Barros & Francisco H.G. Ferreira & Jose R. Molinas Vega & Jaime Saavedra Chanduvi, 2009. "Measuring Inequality of Opportunities in Latin America and the Caribbean," World Bank Publications, The World Bank, number 2580, September.
    4. repec:idb:brikps:60098 is not listed on IDEAS
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    1. Jere Behrman & Dante Contreras & Isidora Palma & Esteban Puentes, 2017. "Wealth Disparities for Early Childhood Anthropometrics and Skills: Evidence from Chilean Longitudinal Data," Working Papers wp454, University of Chile, Department of Economics.
    2. Alejandro Bayas & Nicolas Grau, 2021. "Inequality of Opportunity and Juvenile Crime," Working Papers wp524, University of Chile, Department of Economics.
    3. Jere R. Behrman & Dante Contreras & Maria Isidora Palma & Esteban Puentes, 2024. "Socioeconomic Disparities for Early Childhood Anthropometrics and Vocabulary and Socio-emotional Skills: Dynamic Evidence from Chilean Longitudinal Data," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 43(1), pages 1-28, February.
    4. Adrián Villaseñor & Lucio Esposito & Sunil Kumar & Sandra Macedo, 2026. "The Absolute and Relative Facets of the Economic Gradient in Educational Attainment: Large-Scale Evidence from Brazil," The European Journal of Development Research, Palgrave Macmillan;European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes (EADI), vol. 38(2), pages 237-266, April.
    5. Bayas, Alejandro & Grau, Nicolás, 2023. "Inequality of opportunity in juvenile crime and education," International Journal of Educational Development, Elsevier, vol. 103(C).
    6. Giménez, Víctor & Thieme, Claudio & Prior, Diego & Tortosa-Ausina, Emili, 2022. "Evaluation and determinants of preschool effectiveness in Chile," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 81(C).

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