Which Has The Better Economy: Argentina Or Chile?

[ajoknoblauch]

I ve said a lot of times here. The 70% of the inhabitants of villas in Argentina are immigrants. Mostly Bolivians and Paraguayans, and first generation, which means, people before them (who probably convinced them) have prospered here. Argentina has very different policies than Chile when it comes to immigration. Thats why lots of people of poorer neighbouring countries come here more than to Chile.

That's not so true as it once was. There are many Peruvians and Bolivians (not to mention Argentines) in Chile, and I've even met some outliers such as Haitians (whom I have never seen in Argentina). That said, it's still an effort to climb the social and economic ladder in Chile.

 

[camberiu]

That's not so true as it once was. There are many Peruvians and Bolivians (not to mention Argentines) in Chile, and I've even met some outliers such as Haitians (whom I have never seen in Argentina). That said, it's still an effort to climb the social and economic ladder in Chile.

Chile leads continent in social mobility, World Bank says

 

[germano]

Germano I see a lot of rebutting of statistics from you, but without much (any) evidence to the contrary, why don't you put forward some real statistics and evidence to support your case that the Argentine middle class is proportionately larger and/or better off than their counterparts across the Andes?

Trennod you make an interesting comment. Please review my comments if I have ever said the Argentinian economy was better than the Chilean or the middle class in Argentina indeed larger? I expressed my impressions from the time I lived in Chile and made that clear using words like "... my impression was ...". Those were not empirical statistics but my impressions and I think I made that clear. But if somebody writes things like "The data CLEARLY shows that everyone in Chile (from the most poor to the most rich) is better off than their equivalent in Argentina." and a quick look at the income tax data shows that it does not then I think it is more than fair to bring that up. And I have added a link with a source to show what the income taxes really look like. I also linked to a source for the cost of healthcare/co-payment topic - so much for "without much (any) evidence". Also with statements like "The reality is that the two countries are going in opposite directions." it should be allowed to ask for the sources/data that statement is based on. If you think that I just believe things people write here then you are mistaken ...

Regarding the middle classes in the two countries: If you have data / source that show that the middle class in Chile is indeed proportionately larger - or growing while the middle class in Argentina is shrinking - then I would very interested in them. So far we have the source from Matiasba that the middle class doubled in Argentina between 2003 and 2009 - which would indicate at least until 2009 a growing middle class in Argentina. Of course that could have changed after 2009 ...

 

[Matiasba]

That's not so true as it once was. There are many Peruvians and Bolivians (not to mention Argentines) in Chile, and I've even met some outliers such as Haitians (whom I have never seen in Argentina). That said, it's still an effort to climb the social and economic ladder in Chile.

I know the Peruvian community in Chile has been growing a lot, I cant remember right now, but was something like doubled its size in the last 10 years. But still, there are much more peruvians in Argentina than in Chile (and remember, we dont have limits with Peru) and a lot more Bolivians and Paraguayans.

About the argentinians that go to Chile, they re not poor people, they are middle class or upper middle class, the same that the Chileans that come here. Remember there are more chileans living in Argentina than argentineans in Chile. The other day I heard there are a lot of Chileans studying in Public University (Udelar) in Montevideo, so they go there too.

 

[trennod]

I ve said a lot of times here. The 70% of the inhabitants of villas in Argentina are immigrants. Mostly Bolivians and Paraguayans, and first generation, which means, people before them (who probably convinced them) have prospered here. Argentina has very different policies than Chile when it comes to immigration. Thats why lots of people of poorer neighbouring countries come here more than to Chile.

Villas have grown significantly over the past 10 years. I understand a lot of this may be due to immigration, but I would argue most is due to second generation, expansion of families & new additions (ie from middle, lower middle class). Either way, any immigrants living in villas are now part of Argentina and hence form part of the country and statistics.

I'd be interested to know where that 70% came from as well, do you have a source?

 

[trennod]

Trennod you make an interesting comment. Please review my comments if I have ever said the Argentinian economy was better than the Chilean or the middle class in Argentina indeed larger? I expressed my impressions from the time I lived in Chile and made that clear using words like "... my impression was ...". Those were not empirical statistics but my impressions and I think I made that clear. But if somebody writes things like "The data CLEARLY shows that everyone in Chile (from the most poor to the most rich) is better off than their equivalent in Argentina." and a quick look at the income tax data shows that it does not then I think it is more than fair to bring that up. And I have added a link with a source to show what the income taxes really look like. I also linked to a source for the cost of healthcare/co-payment topic - so much for "without much (any) evidence". Also with statements like "The reality is that the two countries are going in opposite directions." it should be allowed to ask for the sources/data that statement is based on. If you think that I just believe things people write here then you are mistaken ...

Regarding the middle classes in the two countries: If you have data / source that show that the middle class in Chile is indeed proportionately larger - or growing while the middle class in Argentina is shrinking - then I would very interested in them. So far we have the source from Matiasba that the middle class doubled in Argentina between 2003 and 2009 - which would indicate at least until 2009 a growing middle class in Argentina. Of course that could have changed after 2009 ...

Not interested in statistics from early 2000's that show a growing middle class in Argentina because your coming off a ridiculously low base being 2001.
The stats from Chile have already been shown by camberiu, I don't really think they need repeating?

 

[germano]

I'd be interested to know where that 70% came from as well, do you have a source?

You see ... you don't just believe statements made here either.

 

[Rich One]

I don't know about you.

But I just trust my eyes. I just trust what I see with my own eyes.

Perhaps the dozens of experts that ranked Chile above Arg, did not see what you DID....! Or are not as qualified to judge....!!

 

[Matiasba]

Chile leads continent in social mobility, World Bank says

Interesting what it says in the second paragraph:


Quote.

"About 42 percent of Chile’s population was said to be part of the middle class ranking it third in the region after Uruguay and Argentina."

 

[camberiu]

I find this one MUCH more interesting:

"Chile also stood at the forefront of countries in the region for social mobility, showing 60 percent of the population to have improved their economic situation while 40 percent maintained it between 1992 and 2009. Costa Rica, Brazil and Colombia followed Chile’s lead with similar percentages of upward mobility."

That is between 1992-2009. In the period the situation of 60% of the population improved. The highest in the continent. And no one when down, unlike another country I know of. Argentina does not appear at all between the top 4.