Mexico’s Fragile Middle Class Florencia Torche
Figure 1
Intergenerational Economic Mobility in Mexico, 2006
Cross-classification of Parent’s Economic Status (rows) by adult Children’s Economic Status
source: 2006 esru Mexican social Mobility survey, Fundacion espinosa-rugarcia < www.movilidadsocial.org> (accessed March 24, 2009).
ChIldrEn
Poorest
Quintile
Second
Quintile
Third
Quintile
Fourth
Quintile
Wealthiest
Quintile
ParEn TS
Poorest Quintile
48%
26%
15%
7%
4%
Second Quintile
27%
28%
26%
13%
6%
Third Quintile
14%
23%
26%
20%
17%
Fourth Quintile
5%
16%
25%
29%
26%
Wealthiest Quintile
0%
3%
12%
26%
59%
Figure 2
Intergenerational Economic Mobility in Sweden, 1996—1999
source: Jantti et al. 2006, “American exceptionalism in a new Light: A comparison of intergenerational earnings Mobility in the
nordic countries, the united Kingdom and the united states” < http://ideas.repec.org/p/wrk/warwec/781.html> (accessed March 24th, 2009).
ChIldrEn
Poorest
Quintile
Second
Quintile
Third
Quintile
Fourth
Quintile
Wealthiest
Quintile
ParEn TS
Poorest Quintile
26%
24%
22%
18%
11%
Second Quintile
21%
23%
24%
20%
13%
Third Quintile
18%
21%
22%
22%
16%
Fourth Quintile
18%
18%
20%
22%
23%
Wealthiest Quintile
16%
14%
13%
19%
37%
Figure 3
Intergenerational Economic Mobility in Chile, 2001
source: 2001 chilean social Mobility survey, < http://homepages.nyu.edu/~ft237/chile_Mobility.html> (accessed March 24th, 2009).
ChIldrEn
Poorest
Quintile
Second
Quintile
Third
Quintile
Fourth
Quintile
Wealthiest
Quintile
ParEn TS
Poorest Quintile
34%
29%
20%
15%
5%
Second Quintile
27%
21%
21%
20%
14%
Third Quintile
17%
24%
21%
22%
15%
Fourth Quintile
15%
16%
22%
23%
24%
Wealthiest Quintile 5% 9% 16% 20% 46%
note: QuintiLes Are bAsed on An econoMic weLL-being index in Mexico And chiLe, And on A MuLti-yeAr eArnings AverAge in sweden.
spring 2009
americas quarterly 79
