Abstract

LUSTIG, Nora  and  MARTINEZ PABON, Valentina. The impact of COVID-19 on inequality and poverty in Mexico. Estud. Econ. (México, D.F.) [online]. 2021, vol.36, n.1, pp.7-25.  Epub Oct 18, 2021. ISSN 0186-7202.  https://doi.org/10.24201/ee.v36i1.416.

We use microsimulation to estimate the short-term distributional consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic in Mexico. Although the potential increase in poverty is significant, we find that compared to their pre-shock income, those who lost the most are the moderate poor and the vulnerable to poverty. We find that the impact on poverty is more severe for urban households. Poverty increases less for rural households and the indigenous population. Compared to Argentina, Brazil, and Colombia, Mexico stands out because the government did not introduce additional transfers to mitigate the impact of the pandemic on living standards.

Keywords : COVID-19; inequality; Mexico; poverty; microsimulations; C63; D31; I32; I38.

        · abstract in Spanish     · text in English     · English ( pdf )