This paper tests the sensitivity of poverty indexes to the choice of adult equivalence scales, assumptions about the existence of economies of scale in consumption, methods for treating missing and zero incomes, and different adjustments to handle income misreporting. We also perform sensitivity...

This document was prepared in the context of the Program for the "Improvement of Surveys and the Measurement of Living Conditions in Latin America and the Caribbean" (ISLC/MECOVI). Bolivia ranks among Latin America's so-called "early adjusters". While Bolivia's economic reforms, which began in...

Bolivia ranks among Latin America's so-called "early adjusters". While Bolivia's economic reforms, which began in 1985, have clearly brought economic stability and some structural change, they have failed so far to bring a major boost to the economy and export production. Using household survey...

This volume honors Raúl Prebisch's contributions to economic thought and uses his 1970 report Change and Development: Latin America's Great Task as a point of departure for analyzing trends in the region in the 1970s and 1980s. This volume comprises a collection of the papers presented at the...

Latin American experts demonstrate how market-friendly measures in key policy areas can promote greater equity and efficiency. By identifying win-win strategies, the authors challenge the conventional wisdom that there is always a tradeoff between these two objectives. This volume shows how...

This book analyzes the role of trade as a central pillar of the structural reform process and a bridge to capturing the dynamic development forces of an increasingly globalized world economy.

Export Pioneers in Latin America analyzes a series of case studies of successful new export activities throughout the region to learn how pioneers jump-start a virtuous process leading to economic transformation. The cases of blueberries in Argentina, avocados in Mexico, and aircraft in Brazil...

The 2007 Report on Economic and Social Progress in Latin America analyzes the nature and evolution of sovereign debt in Latin America and discusses the policies that can be followed by countries and international financial institutions (IFIs) to reduce the vulnerabilities associated with it....

Monetary normalization may be a chronicle foretold, but countries still have the power to influence the outcome for their own economies. This report focuses on the risks Latin American and Caribbean countries face and how they can reduce vulnerabilities and enhance opportunities.Abstract: Puede...

This report examines the quality of public policies in Latin America and the Caribbean after more than a decade of political and economic reform. A wide variety of examples and case studies are presented in an analytical framework to help explain why policies that work in certain institutional...