In Latin America, children have far less development opportunities than kids growing up in Europe, the United States or Canada.
Chile and Uruguay are the best placed Latin American nations in the 2010 Human Opportunity Index, but they are way below the so called “first world countries”, in having the necessary conditions for human development.
We already knew this empirically, but it is important to analyze what creates opportunities for developing, not just as businessmen worrying over a depressed and poor market for our products, or as authorities in charge of developing policies, but as responsible parents.
Between one fourth and one half of income inequality observed among Latin America and the Caribbean adults is due to personal circumstances endured during childhood that fell outside of their control or responsibility.
The new Human Opportunity Index, developed by a Group of economists from the World Bank, Argentina and Brazil, shows how personal circumstances play in gaining or preventing access to those services needed for a productive life, such as running water, sanitation, electricity or basic education among children in the region. This opens up a whole new field of study dedicated to designing public policy focused on equity.
Between one fourth and one half of income inequality observed among Latin America and the Caribbean adults is due to personal circumstances endured during childhood that fell outside of their control or responsibility.
The new Human Opportunity Index, developed by a Group of economists from the World Bank, Argentina and Brazil, shows how personal circumstances play in gaining or preventing access to those services needed for a productive life, such as running water, sanitation, electricity or basic education among children in the region. This opens up a whole new field of study dedicated to designing public policy focused on equity.