Recent Patterns of Intergenerational Social Mobility in Latin America

The Rohatyn Center for Global Affairs program on Global Economics, Development and Political Economy presents “Recent Patterns of Intergenerational Social Mobility in Latin America” by Joaquín Serrano, Department of Applied Economics at Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona.

Why do some societies offer greater opportunities for children to move up the educational and economic ladder than others? This talk examines patterns of intergenerational mobility in Latin America, a region characterized by high inequality and relatively low mobility compared to other parts of the world. I will introduce the main measures used to study mobility such as intergenerational elasticities, correlations, and transition matrices, and compare Latin America with both developed and other developing regions. While mobility has improved over recent decades, recent evidence suggests this progress may have slowed and that there is considerable variation across and within countries. The presentation will explore the determinants of these patterns, including education systems, labor markets, and family background, as well as the consequences for inequality and development.

Organized by Germán Reyes.

ZOOM LINK for event.

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