Inclusive Growth Landscape

Latin America has to become more inclusive to ensure growth benefits all. The region lags significantly behind advanced economies in providing a high quality and equitable educational system, access to finance for small business development and greater financial security for its citizens. Significant gaps also exist within Latin America, most notably in terms of the strength of public institutions, and the provision of basic services and an adequate social safety net.

The region lags vis-à-vis other regions in several areas including providing its citizens with formal financial services like bank accounts, a means to accumulate savings and build assets to ensure a minimum level of income security and resilience from shocks. Some of the same factors required to close the competitiveness gaps will also be important to increase the inclusiveness of the growth process within countries and across the region. These include improving access, quality and equity of educational systems, improving physical and digital infrastructure and tackling corruption to ensure a level playing field reinforced by sound and fair institutions.

*Note: Scores are based on a 1 to 7 scale and shading is based on performance relative to peers in the same income group. Data on educational quality and equity are not strictly comparable across income groups.