Latin American Middle Classes: The Distance between Perception and Reality

38 Pages Posted: 14 Dec 2011

See all articles by Eduardo A. Lora

Eduardo A. Lora

Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) - Research Department

Johanna Fajardo-Gonzalez

Independent Researcher; World Bank - Poverty and Equity Global Practice

Multiple version iconThere are 2 versions of this paper

Date Written: December 2011

Abstract

The main contribution of this paper with respect to previous work is the use of data on subjective perceptions to identify the Latin American middle classes. This paper provides a set of comparisons between objective and subjective definitions of middle-class using data from the 2007 World Gallup Poll. Seven objective income-based definitions of social class are contrasted with a self-perceived social status measure. Mismatches between the objective and the subjective classification of social class are the largest when the objective definition is based on median incomes. Mismatches result from the fact that self-perceived social status is associated not just with income, but also with personal capabilities, interpersonal relations, financial and material assets, and perceptions of economic insecurity. Objective definitions of the middle class based on absolute incomes provide the lowest mismatches and the most accurate differentiation of the middle class from other classes.

Suggested Citation

Lora, Eduardo A. and Fajardo-Gonzalez, Johanna, Latin American Middle Classes: The Distance between Perception and Reality (December 2011). IDB Working Paper No. IDB-WP-275, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1972113 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.1972113

Eduardo A. Lora (Contact Author)

Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) - Research Department ( email )

1300 New York Ave., NW
Washington, DC 20577
United States
202-623-1271 (Phone)
202-623-2481 (Fax)

Johanna Fajardo-Gonzalez

Independent Researcher ( email )

World Bank - Poverty and Equity Global Practice

1818 H Street NW
Washington, DC 20433
United States

Do you have a job opening that you would like to promote on SSRN?

Paper statistics

Downloads
152
Abstract Views
1,847
Rank
378,306
PlumX Metrics