Poverty and inequality: Complex realities, difficult solutions

Abstract

Poverty and inequality constitute economic and social phenomena that, even with government efforts in the last two decades to reduce them, the results have not been sufficient and millions of people remain outside decent living conditions. The dissimilar causes of poverty and the effects of the development model on inequality, then transcend economic explanations, that is, although measurements and explanations from income are relevant, today analyzes of these problems are already achieved from other categories and variables, such as multidimensional poverty that manages to detect effects on the quality of life from education, infrastructure, public services, health or work. In this paper, a review of the most relevant data on poverty and inequality in Colombia is carried out, with emphasis on Bogotá. It also shows that there are substantial elements to boost other analyzes of poverty and inequality, such as the labor market or the situation of young people. And the so-called hidden poverty is highlighted, since some social sectors that even having assets and even training (capacities) have ended up being excluded and plunging into poverty.