Leveling Opportunities Key to Development in Latin America and Caribbean
Human Opportunity Index
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- Reducing inequality is one of the main development challenges in Latin America
- Study finds that unequal access to basic services in childhood corresponds to inequality in income later in life
- Index provides a tool for governments to assign budget allocations more effectively
October 2, 2008—Between one fourth and one half of income inequality observed among adults in Latin America and the Caribbean is due to personal circumstances endured during childhood that fell outside of their control or responsibility. Among these are race, gender, birthplace, parent’s educational level, and their father’s occupation. These circumstances reveal the level of inequality of opportunity in the region.
The new Human Opportunity Index(HOI), developed by a group of economists from the World Bank, Argentina and Brazil, shows the role personal circumstances play in gaining or preventing access to those services needed for a productive life, such as running water, sanitation, electricity and basic education among children in the region. These findings open up a whole new field of study dedicated to designing public policy focused on equity./p>
“Latin America and the Caribbean is one of the most unequal regions in the world, where the richest 10 percent of the population captures 40 percent of total income, while the poorest 10 percent receives a mere 1 percent,” said Pamela Cox, World Bank Vice President for Latin America and the Caribbean./p>
“To a large extent, this can be attributed to the fact that not everybody has the same opportunities. This has to change. The HOI is a new tool that will help governments assign budget allocations more efficiently, and generate opportunities for all.”/p>
The results highlight challenges that need to be resolved, but they also show clear progress.
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