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Income Inequality in Mexico 1895-1940: Industrialization, Revolution, Institutions

Author

Listed:
  • Castañeda Garza, Diego
  • Bengtsson, Erik

    (Department of Economic History, Lund University)

Abstract

This paper, building on new archival research, presents the first comprehensive estimates of income inequality in Mexico before 1950.We usethe social tables method of combining census information with group-level income data to reconstructMexican incomesand their distributionfor four benchmark years, 1895,1910,1930 and 1940.The Gini coefficient for incomes is 0.48in 1895, 0.47in 1910, 0.41in 1930 and 0.51in 1940.The evidence points to inequality as a multi-faceted phenomenon. Mexican incomeinequalitywas shaped by the economic policies of the various regimes, as well as the growth possibilities of various sectors. The revolution of the 1910s entailed reforms(of the labormarket and of land ownership) which equalized incomes, but when these reforms were substantially reversed, inequality rose again.The developments are in line with a new branch of the literature that recognizesthe importance for inequality dynamics of land ownership.The levelsof inequality in the long term display ratherstrong persistence, in line with institutionalist arguments.

Suggested Citation

  • Castañeda Garza, Diego & Bengtsson, Erik, 2020. "Income Inequality in Mexico 1895-1940: Industrialization, Revolution, Institutions," Lund Papers in Economic History 212, Lund University, Department of Economic History.
    • Handle: RePEc:hhs:luekhi:0212
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Income inequality; Income distribution; Socialtables; Mexico; Mexican revolution; Political economy;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D63 - Microeconomics - - Welfare Economics - - - Equity, Justice, Inequality, and Other Normative Criteria and Measurement
    • E01 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - General - - - Measurement and Data on National Income and Product Accounts and Wealth; Environmental Accounts
    • N36 - Economic History - - Labor and Consumers, Demography, Education, Health, Welfare, Income, Wealth, Religion, and Philanthropy - - - Latin America; Caribbean
    • O15 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Economic Development: Human Resources; Human Development; Income Distribution; Migration

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