Indigenous peoples represent ten percent of Latin America’s population. Despite increased political influence over the last decade, indigenous groups have seen few economic or social improvements. They continue to suffer higher rates of poverty, lower educational levels and more disease and discrimination than non-indigenous peoples. They are the region’s largest disadvantaged group.

In 1994 the United Nations launched the Indigenous Peoples Decade to focus worldwide attention on reducing poverty amongst these groups. A new study from The World Bank updates findings from a 1994 baseline report and illustrates how conditions have changed in the five Latin American countries with the largest indigenous populations: Bolivia, Ecuador, Guatemala, Mexico and Peru.

The report shows that poverty did not decrease much because income levels remained the same among indigenous peoples during the period. In four of the five countries studied, poverty levels were the same as in 1994. This was despite a fall in the overall level of poverty for non-indigenous people in two of the countries: Mexico and Bolivia. The report, however, found that in Ecuador and Peru, although the overall number of poor people increased over the ten years indigenous people were less affected by the increase.

The report argues that this finding indicates indigenous peoples are less affected by large economic trends than non-indigenous people, whether positive or negative. This must be addressed if the region is to meet its Millennium Development Goals commitments. The authors identify a number of key areas that need improvement:

• Despite increased political representation, mainly through non-government organisations (NGOs), indigenous peoples still consider their influence on government to be limited.
• Although progressive policies and constitutional reforms guaranteed the rights of indigenous peoples on paper, they have not had any real impact.
• The number of indigenous peoples receiving bilingual education has grown, but it is not universal and is of low quality.
• Indigenous health initiatives are growing but remain irregular and under-evaluated.
• There is no social policy in many Latin American countries that is specifically targeted at protecting indigenous peoples.
• Indigenous peoples earn much less than non-indigenous people and few policy changes have addressed this potential discrimination in the labour markets.

Significant political and policy changes have been made in the last decade to help indigenous peoples. While some programmes have helped, particularly in education, they have not brought about the expected reductions in indigenous peoples’ poverty. To achieve real impact, the report urges policymakers to:

• continue to emphasise more and better quality education for indigenous people
• focus health efforts on young children and on initiatives designed to tackle malnutrition and the gaps in health that are associated with poor diet
• improve the accountability, quality and level of social services indigenous peoples receive
• produce a list of standard questions to accurately identify indigenous peoples in census or sample surveys.

Source(s):
‘Indigenous Peoples, Poverty and Human Development in Latin America: 1994-2004’, Palgrave Publishers, London, edited by Gillette Hall and Harry Anthony Patrinos, 2005 (forthcoming). Full document.

Funded by: The World Bank

id21 Research Highlight: 16 September 2005

Further Information:
Patricia da Camara
External Affairs
Latin America and the Caribbean
The World Bank
1818 H Street, NW
Washington DC 20433, US

Tel: +1 202 473 4019
Fax: +1 202 522 3698
Contact the contributor: Pdacamara@worldbank.org

The World Bank

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