The LAC Equity Lab is a comprehensive source of the latest data on poverty, inequality, and shared prosperity in the Latin America and the Caribbean region. The portal allows you to explore several welfare indicators for LAC countries and the region as a whole. All indicators are based on harmonized data to ensure comparability across countries and over time. Any breaks in any data series due to survey design or methodological changes are explicitly marked and labeled.
In the past two decades, the region has seen a reduction in the number of people living in poverty by nearly half and an increase in the size of its middle class. Income inequality also decreased, as income growth has been primarily pro-poor in recent years. Despite variations across countries, most have experienced positive welfare gains since the early 2000s. However, the growth deceleration of 2014–2019 coupled with the dramatic fall in activity caused by the COVID-19 crisis will negatively impact living standards and well-being across the region in 2020.
New Regional Report: From Infection to Inflation
New Global Poverty Lines
Note on new global povert: Poverty data are now expresses in 2017 Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) prices, versus 2011 PPP in previus editions. The new global poverty lines of $2.15, $3.65, and $6.85 reflect the typical national poverty lines of low-income, lower-middle-income, and upper-middle-income countries in 2017 prices. For more information see here: