Inclusive Growth and Expanding the Middle Class in Latin America

The Dialogue is delighted to host this event marking the Washington launch of the McKinsey Global Institute’s latest report, “Latin America’s missing middle: Rebooting inclusive growth.” According to the report, Latin America used to be the world’s most prosperous emerging region, but it is on the verge of being overtaken by other regions that were considerably poorer. The bottom 90 percent in Latin American households consumes just 64 percent of the total, the lowest share in the world. Our discussion will focus on new data brought to light in the report and explore strategies for reversing these trends, including ways digital and technological advances in the region could help reboot inclusive growth and regain lost ground.

Some of the questions we plan to address include: Why has growth in Latin America been slower and more volatile than in other emerging economies, and how does the region compare in distributing the gains from economic activity? How has the region’s middle class changed in recent years, and could new approaches help create a larger pool of upwardly mobile consumers? How has the private sector evolved in the region, and what can be done to increase the number of midsized companies needed to spur competition and innovation? What role could new technologies and the region’s tech start up scene play in addressing the region’s dual challenge of slow growth and unequal distribution?

Follow this event on Twitter at #LatinAmericaGrowth and @The_Dialogue.

A light lunch will be provided. 

WELCOME and MODERATOR

Michael Shifter 

President, Inter-American Dialogue (@MichaelShifter)

OPENING REMARKS

Luis Alberto Moreno

President, Inter-American Development Bank  (@MorenoBID)

SPEAKERS

Andres Cadena

Senior Partner, Bogotá, McKinsey & Co. (@mckinsey_mgi)

Eric Parrado Herrera  

Chief Economist, Inter-American Development Bank (@the_IDB)

Jaana Remes

Partner, McKinsey Global Institute (@JaanaRemes)