Resumo

LOPEZ-CALVA, Luis F.; CRUCES, Guillermo; LACH, Samantha  e  ORTIZ-JUAREZ, Eduardo. Clases medias y vulnerabilidad a la pobreza. Reflexiones desde América Latina. El trimestre econ [online]. 2014, vol.81, n.322, pp.281-307. ISSN 2448-718X.

Based on the definition of middle class as that population who face low probability of falling into poverty, we present some trends for Latin America. The percentage of middle class has increased significantly, from 21.9 percent in 2000 to 34.3 percent in 2012. Since 2009, the size of the middle class is greater than that of the poor. Nevertheless, being part of the middle class in the region is still a privileged position. In fact, the poor and the vulnerable concentrate approximately two thirds of the region’s population. In this sense, Latin America is most definitely not, at least not yet, a middle class society.

Palavras-chave : clase media; América Latina; pobreza; vulnerabilidad.