Poverty among the Indigenous People of Chile: An Empirical Analysis

David Ader, Pennsylvania State University

Latin America contains a diverse indigenous population of over 40 million. Empirical studies of indigenous poverty in Latin America are scarce. Despite the size and diversity of the indigenous population, they are studied as an aggregate group. Grouping the indigenous population masks the heterogeneity between distinct groups. Using household data (N=73,720) from the National Characterization Socioeconomic Survey in Chile, the authors analyze variations in poverty between different indigenous groups. Using logistic regression analysis the author shows the factors that account for the likelihood of living in poverty. Employment and education are shown to be strong factors associated with decreased poverty. Variations between different groups are shown and the author concludes that the issue of indigenous poverty needs to be addressed differently to accurately describe the situation.