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Non-contributory Public Spending in Latin America and the Caribbean Data: 2010-2015

By Social Protection and Labor Markets Division (VPS/SCL/SPL)

This paper presents new data documenting the level and evolution of public spending on non-contributory programs for 16 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean. Salaried formal workers contribute to social security and in return have access to an array of benefits -mainly old-age pensions and health services. In recent decades, informal workers – salaried and non-salaried- have gained access to similar benefits, financed through general revenues. Our calculations indicate that, on average, the region spends 1.7% of GDP in these programs. Although they were created in response to social demands, by targeting informal workers these programs may create a behavioral response -i.e. more informality. This paper does not attempt to measure behavioral effects. Its main contribution is to be the first to document this “subsidy to informality” following a common methodology across countries and years in the region.

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Metadata & use

Identifier https://doi.org/10.60966/g43r-pn41
License Creative Commons Attribution–NonCommercial–NoDerivs 3.0 IGO
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Citation

Izquierdo, Alejandro, et al. (2019). Non-contributory Public Spending in Latin America and the Caribbean Data: 2010-2015. IDB Open Data. https://doi.org/10.60966/g43r-pn41
Published date 2019-03-19
Modified date 2026-06-15
Tags/Keywords Informal Labor · Labor Market · Labor Policy · Non Contributory Pension · Pension · Public Expenditure · Workforce and Employment · Working Condition
Language
  1. English
Temporal coverage 2010-2015
Country
Argentina
Bolivia
Brazil
Chile
Colombia
Costa Rica
Ecuador
El Salvador
Guam
Honduras
Jamaica
Mexico
Nicaragua
Paraguay
Peru
Uruguay
Region Latin America and the Caribbean
Publisher
Inter-American Development Bank
Author
Izquierdo, Alejandro
Altamirano Montoya, Álvaro
Alaimo, Veronica
Dborkin, Daniela
Data collection type Administrative Data
Data structure Semistructured Data

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