Over the past seven decades, countries in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) have been marked by exceptionally high levels of multiple and interconnected inequalities. In addition to being the world’s most unequal region, LAC continues to struggle with lagging growth, persistent poverty, and vulnerability to shocks. The Covid-19 pandemic, for example, slashed regional GDP by 7 percent in 2020 – LAC’s worst economic shock since the 19th century independence period. In the post-pandemic period, amid slowing global growth and other challenges on the horizon, empirical and rigorous evidence can help LAC policymakers chart a course for inclusive growth, poverty reduction, and resilience.
Building on a long tradition of research and policy engagement in Latin America and the Caribbean, the faculty supported by EGC have strong networks with academics and policymakers in the region. These connections have resulted in rigorous research on LAC’s most significant challenges and opportunities – from conditional cash transfers to pension reforms, educational disparities, and early-childhood interventions often conducted in direct collaboration with governments.
Leveraging these experiences and strengths, the EGC Latin America and the Caribbean Program supports Yale faculty who study the region’s many facets of economic development, employing a range of quantitative methods. This includes work along five main themes.