Relative Income and Gender Norms: Evidence from Latin America

Submitted by SPH DIGITAL on

Using census data from over 500,000 dual-earner households in Mexico, we show that couples in which the wife earns just above half of the household income are far less common than those in which she earns just below that threshold a pattern that has been attributed to gender norms that create an aversion to wives outearning their husbands. This gap is two to five times larger than documented in the United States and Northern Europe and has grown over the 20002015 period.

The State of Education in Latin America and the Caribbean 2026: A Geospatial Perspective

Submitted by SPH DIGITAL on

In its 2026 edition, The State of Education in Latin America and the Caribbean, the biennial publication of the Information Center for the Improvement of Learning (CIMA), focuses on the territorial dimension as a structural component for understanding how education systems function and for supporting the design of more contextualized, targeted, and evidence-based education policies.

Remote tutoring in language: Evidence from Paraguay

Submitted by SPH DIGITAL on

This paper evaluates a randomized remote tutoring program implemented in Paraguay, targeting 1,650 students in grades four through six with low baseline performance in Spanish language. The intervention provided two weekly 30-minute one-on-one tutoring sessions over the phone for eight weeks, using a differentiated instruction model tailored to students initial diagnostic assessments. Treated students showed significant learning gains: those offered tutoring scored 0.11 standard deviations higher on standardized language tests compared to controls.

Mobile-assisted Indigenous Language Learning: RCT Evidence from a School-based Intervention in Peru

Submitted by SPH DIGITAL on

This study presents the results of an experimental evaluation of a pedagogical intervention based on the mobile application Quechua Collao, designed to strengthen Quechua language skills as a second language among primary and secondary school students in public schools with an Intercultural Bilingual Education (IBE) approach in Peru. The intervention combined the use of the app with a pedagogical guide and teacher support.

Vision Loss and Blindness in School Age Children in LAC

Submitted by SPH DIGITAL on

The series of Skills for Life (S4L) briefs "Hidden in Plain Sight" provides clear, data-driven snapshots of the prevalence of different disabilities and disorders among school-age children in Latin America and the Caribbean, using the Global Burden of Disease estimated prevalence rates contrasting these with administrative data from the education systems. The briefs are designed for policymakers, ministry teams, and education practitioners seeking actionable insights to strengthen inclusion, early detection, and support students.

The State of Education in Latin America and the Caribbean: A Geospatial Perspective

Submitted by SPH DIGITAL on

In its 2026 edition, The State of Education in Latin America and the Caribbean, the biennial publication of the Information Center for the Improvement of Learning (CIMA), focuses on the territorial dimension as a structural component for understanding how education systems function and for supporting the design of more contextualized, targeted, and evidence-based education policies.

Hearing Loss and Deafness in School Age Children in LAC

Submitted by SPH DIGITAL on

The document series “Life Skills”, titled “The Hidden Numbers,” provides clear, data-driven snapshots of the prevalence of different disabilities and disorders among school-age children in Latin America and the Caribbean. It uses estimated prevalence rates from the Global Burden of Disease and contrasts them with administrative data from educational systems. The documents are designed for policymakers, ministerial teams, and education professionals seeking practical information to strengthen inclusion, early detection, and support for students.

What Jobs are Being Created in Latin America?: Analysis of Online Job Postings in Latin America and the Caribbean

Submitted by SPH DIGITAL on

This document contains an analysis of more than 6.2 million digital job vacancies across 15 Latin American countries between 2022 and 2025. It shows a slowdown in job postings, along with demand dominated by administrative, commercial, and service occupations that require intermediate to relatively high levels of preparation.

Salaried Labor Costs in Latin America and the Caribbean: A Ten - Year Update

Submitted by SPH DIGITAL on

The tension between productivity and labor costs in Latin America and the Caribbean remains one of the greatest challenges to creating formal employment. This note estimates the cost of salaried formal labor in 19 Latin American and Caribbean countries for 2023, updating two key indicators previously calculated by the IDBthe average non-wage cost of salaried labor (NWC) and the minimum cost of salaried labor (MCSL)and introducing a new measure: the cost of formalizing informal labor (CFIL). Results show that labor costs have risen since 2013, with increasing divergence across countries.

30 Years of Social Targeting in Colombia: From Sisbén to the Social Registry of Households: Case study on the System for the Identification of Potential beneficiaries of Social rograms and the Social Registry of…

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The System for the Identification of Potential Beneficiaries of Social Programs (Sisbén) is Colombias main instrument for targeting social policies. To date, Sisbén has gone through four versions and uses statistical tools and techniques to identify and rank the population according to their socioeconomic situation. Recently, Colombia began the transition from Sisbén to the Social Registry of Households (Registro Social de Hogares, RSH).