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Macroeconomic Performance and Inequality: Brazil 1983-1994

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  • Manoel Bittencourt

    (School of Economics, University of Cape Town / South Africa)

Abstract

We examine how macroeconomic performance, mainly in the role of high rates of inflation, affected earnings inequality in the 1980s and early 1990s in Brazil. The results–based initially on national timeseries, and then on the relatively novel sub-national panel time-series T N data and analysis–show that the extreme inflation, combined with the incomplete indexation coverage seen at the time, had a regressive and significant impact on inequality. Thus, sound macroeconomic policies, which keep inflation low and stable in the long run, are to be a necessary first step of any policy package implemented to alleviate inequality in Brazil.

Suggested Citation

  • Manoel Bittencourt, 2007. "Macroeconomic Performance and Inequality: Brazil 1983-1994," Ibero America Institute for Econ. Research (IAI) Discussion Papers 163, Ibero-America Institute for Economic Research.
    • Handle: RePEc:got:iaidps:163
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    Cited by:

    1. Bittencourt, Manoel, 2011. "Inflation and financial development: Evidence from Brazil," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 28(1), pages 91-99.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Brazil; inequality; inflation; indexation;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D31 - Microeconomics - - Distribution - - - Personal Income and Wealth Distribution
    • E31 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Prices, Business Fluctuations, and Cycles - - - Price Level; Inflation; Deflation
    • O11 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Macroeconomic Analyses of Economic Development
    • O54 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economywide Country Studies - - - Latin America; Caribbean

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