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THE KUZNETS CURVE IN BRAZIL, 1850-2010

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  26 August 2020

María Gómez León Open the ORCID record for María Gómez León [Opens in a new window]
María Gómez León*
Affiliation:
Universidad Carlos III de Madrida
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Abstract

Using social tables and modern household surveys, this article explores Brazil's income distribution from a historical perspective (1850-2010), examining its relationship with economic development and the factors driving inequality changes. It shows that Brazil's inequality was not always high, but rather followed a Kuznets curve, increasing from the early 20th century, reaching a high plateau between the 1970s and 1990s and declining thereafter. Notably, results highlight the importance of both economic and political factors for enabling the completion of the second Kuznets curve phase.

Resumen

RESUMEN

A partir del uso de tablas sociales y encuestas de hogares, este artículo explora la distribución de la renta en Brasil desde una perspectiva histórica (1850-2010), examinando su relación con el desarrollo económico y los factores que impulsaron los cambios en la desigualdad. Se muestra que la alta desigualdad en Brasil no es endémica, al contrario, su evolución siguió una curva de Kuznets, aumentando a comienzos del siglo XX, estancándose a un alto nivel entre los años 1970s y 1990s y cayendo después. Los resultados destacan la importancia de los factores económicos y políticos en la reducción de la desigualdad y consecución de la segunda fase de la curva de Kuznets.

Keywords

Brazilinequalityeconomic developmentN16N36O15BrasilDesigualdadDesarrollo Económico
Type
Articles/Artículos
Information
Revista de Historia Economica - Journal of Iberian and Latin American Economic History , Volume 39 , Issue 1 , March 2021 , pp. 37 - 61
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Copyright
Copyright © Instituto Figuerola, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, 2020

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Footnotes

a

Department of Social Sciences and Instituto Figuerola, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, Getafe, Spain. mgomez3@clio.uc3m.es

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