Social Spending in Mexico: Needs, Priorities and Reforms
October 18, 2021
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Summary
Poverty in Mexico was high before the COVID-19 pandemic and has been exacerbated by the pandemic, with significant variation across states. Education losses from the pandemic are likely to be large and worsen pre-existing disparities; unless mitigated soon, they could contribute to heightened scarring over the medium term. Using state-level and cross-country comparisons, this paper reviews key social programs as well as priorities in education and health. It finds that higher spending and improved design of social programs (e.g., better targeting) would reduce socioeconomic gaps, mitigate scarring risks, and foster inclusive growth.
Subject: COVID-19, Education, Health, Income, National accounts, Poverty
Keywords: Caribbean, COVID-19, education, government program, health, Income, losses from the pandemic, pre-existing disparity, scarring effect, scarring risk, social programs, sustainable development goals
Pages:
38
Volume:
2021
DOI:
Issue:
244
Series:
Working Paper No. 2021/244
Stock No:
WPIEA2021244
ISBN:
9781513599618
ISSN:
1018-5941
