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Inequality of opportunity and intergenerational persistence in Latin America

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Listed:
  • Paolo Brunori
  • Francisco H.G. Ferreira
  • Guido Neidhöfer

Abstract

How strong is the transmission of socio-economic status across generations in Latin America? To answer this question, we first review the empirical literature on intergenerational mobility and inequality of opportunity for the region, summarizing results for both income and educational outcomes.

Suggested Citation

  • Paolo Brunori & Francisco H.G. Ferreira & Guido Neidhöfer, 2023. "Inequality of opportunity and intergenerational persistence in Latin America," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-2023-39, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    • Handle: RePEc:unu:wpaper:wp-2023-39
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    Cited by:

    1. Marcos Delprato, 2025. "Identifying the post-pandemic determinants of low performing students in Latin America through interpretable Machine Learning SHAP Values-Insights from PISA 2022," Papers 2509.24508, arXiv.org.
    2. Matías Ciaschi & Mariana Marchionni & Guido Neidhöfer, 2026. "Intergenerational mobility in Latin America: the multiple facets of social status and the role of mothers," Journal of Population Economics, Springer;European Society for Population Economics, vol. 39(1), pages 1-28, March.
    3. Marcos Delprato, 2025. "Private and public school efficiency gaps in Latin America-A combined DEA and machine learning approach based on PISA 2022," Papers 2509.25353, arXiv.org.
    4. Attanasio, Orazio & de La O, Ana L & Ferreira, Francisco H G & Ibáñez, Ana Maria & Messina, Julián, 2025. "Inequality in Latin America and the Caribbean: a wide-ranging review," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 127502, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    5. Paolo Brunori & Francisco H.G. Ferreira & Guido Neidhöfer, 2023. "Inequality of opportunity and intergenerational persistence in Latin America," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-2023-39, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    6. Daniel Graeber & Viola Hilbert & Johannes König, 2023. "Inequality of Opportunity in Wealth: Levels, Trends, and Drivers," CEPA Discussion Papers 69, Center for Economic Policy Analysis.
    7. Luis Laguinge & Leonardo Gasparini & Guido Neidhöfer, 2024. "The Long-Run Effects of Conditional Cash Transfers: the Case of Bolsa Familia in Brazil," CEDLAS, Working Papers 0328, CEDLAS, Universidad Nacional de La Plata.
    8. Carlos Gradín & Gabriela Zapata-Román, 2024. "Unpacking inequality of opportunity in Chile: the role of birth circumstances using a Shapley decomposition," Working Papers 676, ECINEQ, Society for the Study of Economic Inequality.
    9. Elena Bárcena‑Martín & Kevin Leicht & Brian Nolan & Alain Trannoy & Roy Weide & Michael Woolcock, 2024. "Book reviews," The Journal of Economic Inequality, Springer;Society for the Study of Economic Inequality, vol. 22(4), pages 1111-1127, December.
    10. Marcos Delprato, 2025. "Determinants of Latin American students academic resilience-Insights based on PISA 2022 using an explainable machine learning approach," Papers 2509.24830, arXiv.org.
    11. Vito Peragine & Giorgia Zotti, 2024. "Assessing the extent, the evolution, and the sources of inequality of opportunity in Sierra Leone and The Gambia," SERIES 06-2024, Dipartimento di Economia e Finanza - Università degli Studi di Bari "Aldo Moro", revised Nov 2024.
    12. Bavaro, Michele & Carranza, Rafael & Nolan, Brian, 2025. "Intergenerational Poverty in Europe: A Latent Class Analysis," INET Oxford Working Papers 2025-07, Institute for New Economic Thinking at the Oxford Martin School, University of Oxford.
    13. Guido Neidhöfer & Leonardo Gasparini & Matias Ciaschi, "undated". "Intergenerational mobility of economic well-being in Latin America," Working Papers 620, ECINEQ, Society for the Study of Economic Inequality.

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    JEL classification:

    • D31 - Microeconomics - - Distribution - - - Personal Income and Wealth Distribution
    • I39 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty - - - Other
    • J62 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - Job, Occupational and Intergenerational Mobility; Promotion
    • O15 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Economic Development: Human Resources; Human Development; Income Distribution; Migration

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