Based on the degree of inequality in income distribution measured by the Gini coefficient, Colombia was the most unequal country in Latin America as of 2022. Colombia's Gini coefficient amounted to 54.8. The Dominican Republic recorded the lowest Gini coefficient at 37, even below Uruguay and Chile, which are some of the countries with the highest human development indexes in Latin America. The Gini coefficient explained The Gini coefficient measures the deviation of the distribution of income among individuals or households in a given country from a perfectly equal distribution. A value of 0 represents absolute equality, whereas 100 would be the highest possible degree of inequality. This measurement reflects the degree of wealth inequality at a certain moment in time, though it may fail to capture how average levels of income improve or worsen over time. What affects the Gini coefficient in Latin America? Latin America, as other developing regions in the world, generally records high rates of inequality, with a Gini coefficient ranging between 37 and 55 points according to the latest available data from the reporting period 2010-2023. According to the Human Development Report, wealth redistribution by means of tax transfers improves Latin America's Gini coefficient to a lesser degree than it does in advanced economies. Wider access to education and health services, on the other hand, have been proven to have a greater direct effect in improving Gini coefficient measurements in the region.

Brazil is one of the most unequal countries in terms of income in Latin America. In 2022, it was estimated that almost 57 percent of the income generated in Brazil was held by the richest 20 percent of its population. Among the Latin American countries with available data included in this graph, Colombia came in first, as the wealthiest 20 percent of the Colombian population held over 59 percent of the country's total income.

Between 2010 and 2022, Colombia's data on the degree of inequality in wealth distribution based on the Gini coefficient reached 51.5. That year, the country was deemed as one of the most unequal countries in Latin America.

The Gini coefficient measures the deviation of the distribution of income (or consumption) among individuals or households in a given country from a perfectly equal distribution. A value of 0 represents absolute equality, whereas 100 would be the highest possible degree of inequality.

The average for 2021 based on 12 countries was 44.83 index points. The highest value was in Colombia: 55.1 index points and the lowest value was in Dominican Republic: 38.5 index points. The indicator is available from 1963 to 2023. Below is a chart for all countries where data are available.

As an indicator for the analysis for income inequality. In 2020, the Gini Index recorded in the Colombian capital reached its highest level of inequality since at least 2012 with a **** coefficient, being * perfect equality. This comes as no surprise, because Colombia ranked as the second most unequal country in Latin America.

According to the Corruption Perception Index, Uruguay was perceived as the least corrupt country in Latin America and the Caribbean in 2024, with a score of 76 out of 100. Venezuela, on the other hand, was found to be the Latin American nation with the worst perceived level of corruption, at 10 points. A role model for Latin American democracy Uruguay has many factors contributing to its low public perception of corruption, from high average income levels to a close-knit urban population. At the forefront is the South American country's adherence to good governance and democracy. In fact, in 2024, Uruguay was ranked as the 13th most democratic country in the world. Going hand in hand with trust in institutions is the prospect of equal opportunities for Uruguayans social advancement. In this area, Uruguay is also ranked as the country in Latin America with the highest social mobility index score. A population in need of reconciliation Corruption has long been an issue souring Latin America. Many experts in the region believe it to be the biggest hindrance to their countries. At the top of this list is Peru, with the largest share of Latin American respondents who think corruption is their country's main problem, followed by Colombia and Brazil. In light of a history of drug trafficking and guerrilla warfare, the number of Colombians who believe that the corrupt elite has captured their political system ranks as the highest in the world. To overcome the consequences of this reputation, the Colombian government has made significant efforts to pass anti-corruption legislation, such as the Colombian Penal Code and the Anti-Corruption Act.

Abstract

After implementing Phase 1 of the High-Frequency Phone Survey (HFPS) project in Latin America and The Caribbean in 2020, the World Bank conducted Phase 2 in 2021 to continue to assess the socio-economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on households. This new phase, conducted in partnership with the UNDP LAC Chief Economist office, included two waves. Wave 1 covering 24 countries. Wave 2 collected between October and December 2022, covering 22 countries. Of these countries, 13 participated in Phase 1: Argentina, Bolivia, Colombia, Costa Rica, Chile, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Paraguay and Peru. Countries that joined in Phase 2 are: Antigua & Barbuda and Brazil (only in Wave 1), Belize, Dominica, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Nicaragua, Panama, St. Lucia and Uruguay.

This study presents information from 23 countries for which data was collected between May and July 2021. Brazil was integrated into the LAC HFPS Phase 2 project at a later point and was implemented with a slightly different approach. See the project information here: https://microdata.worldbank.org/index.php/catalog/4533. For information on the LAC HFPS Phase 1, see here: https://pubdocs.worldbank.org/en/238561622829862035/HFPS-TECHNICAL-NOTE-MAY2021-FINAL.pdf

Geographic coverage

National level

Analysis unit

Households and individuals of 18 years of age and older.

Sampling procedure

The size of the Phase 2 Wave 2 overall (cell phones and landlines) selected sample of phone numbers (i.e., before any fieldwork activities) in each of the Original Countries (i.e. the 13 countries included in LAC HFPS Phase 1) is equal to the Phase 1 Wave 1 overall selected sample of phone numbers, plus the Phase 2 Wave 1 overall supplement fresh sample, plus the Phase 2 Wave 2 overall supplement fresh sample of phone numbers.

The samples of the Added Countries (i.e. those only included in Phase 2) is based on a dual frame of cell phone and landline numbers generated through a Random Digit Dialing (RDD) process. In the first phase, a large sample was selected in both frames, and then screened through an automated process to identify the active, eligible numbers. A smaller second-phase sample was selected from the active residential numbers from in the first-phase sample and was delivered to the country teams. Please see Sampling Design and Weighting document for more detail.

Mode of data collection

Computer Assisted Telephone Interview [cati]

Research instrument

Questionnaires are available for download in language of data collection for each country (i.e. Spanish, English, French).

One dollar was worth about ** Mexican pesos in the middle of 2024, which was stronger than other currencies in LATAM. Among the Latin American currencies shown in this graph, the Colombian peso (COP) was found to experience the greatest nominal change in the indicated period, surpassing the mark of ***** Colombian pesos for every U.S. dollar in June 2024.

Roman Catholic is the most common religious affiliation in Colombia. In a survey carried out in 2023, nearly ** percent of Colombian respondents claimed to be of Catholic faith, whereas the second most chosen religion was Evangelism, with **** percent of the people interviewed. More than ** percent of respondents answered they had no religious affiliation. The advent of evangelicalism in Colombia and LAC The share of Catholics in Colombia is above the average in Latin America and the Caribbean, where about ** percent of adults identify as followers of Catholicism. Nevertheless, even if Colombia stood out historically as one of the countries with the largest share of Catholics in the region, their numbers have been dwindling considerably in the past few decades: in the year 2000, **** of Colombians identified as Catholics, over ** percent points more than two decades later. Meanwhile, Evangelism keeps gaining ground in both the country and the region. While merely *** percent of Colombians were evangelical in 1996, this share had grown almost five-fold by 2020, while atheists and agnostics passed from *** to **** in the same lapse of time. The whole of Latin America is experiencing a similar trend, with evangelists accounting for more than one fifth of the population in countries such as Guatemala, Costa Rica, and Brazil. The success of Evangelical Churches in Latin America is related, among other things, to the creation of social safety nets in poor communities, the rise of conservative political parties and movements, and more flexible standards for ordination.
Religiosity among young Colombians Interestingly, eastern religions such as Buddhism enjoy the same popularity as Evangelism and Protestantism among young Colombians. Religion seems to have a considerable impact on youngsters’ life. More than half of surveyed Colombians aged between 15 and 29 claimed that religious beliefs provided them with inner peace, while another **** and ** percent said that it helped them to quit drugs and gangs, respectively. Only *** percent of the respondents affirmed that religious beliefs had no influence on their lives. As for the religiosity of young Catholic Colombians, very few claimed to be very observant. Around ** percent considered themselves not very observant, while around a third classified as somewhat observant.