El cambio estructural a través de los sectores. La economía uruguaya 1900-1955 (II)

The evolution of the Uruguayan economy during the first half of the twentieth century showed an uneven performance of its productive sectors. The importance of carrying out an analysis of this topic lies in the possibility of identifying the phenomena associated with the major structural change that the country experienced between 1900 and 1955. In this paper, the agricultural sector is analyzed emphasizing the dual phenomenon that characterized their performance in the long term: its preeminence in the export structure on one hand and its decreasing importance in the productive structure, on the other. As for the industry, the study focuses on the first effort to build an "early industry" and an "industrialization process" which took place in the country after 1930. An interpretation of the factors that led to the depletion of this process by the middle fifties is also attempted. The evolution of the service sector, which increased notably its participation in the economic structure in the first half of the century, has been very difficult to quantify. For that reason, two particular sectors which were functional to the consolidation of the emerging domestic market have been chosen: the financial services and transport. Additionally, the state involvement in economic life and its particular dynamics is analyzed through the public sector development. Finally, an analysis of the fiscal performance is presented, because of its relevance to understand the country’s long term economic path.