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dc.titleSocioeconomic Status and Mobility during the COVID-19 Pandemic: An Analysis of Eight Large Latin American Cities
dc.contributor.authorAromi, Daniel
dc.contributor.authorBonel, María Paula
dc.contributor.authorCristia, Julian P.
dc.contributor.authorLlada, Martín
dc.contributor.authorPalomino, Luis
dc.contributor.orgunitDepartment of Research and Chief Economist
dc.coverageBrazil
dc.coverageColombia
dc.coverageMexico
dc.coverageArgentina
dc.coverageChile
dc.coverageEcuador
dc.coverageLatin America
dc.date.available2021-06-04T00:00:00
dc.date.issue2021-06-04T00:00:00
dc.description.abstractThis study analyzes mobility patterns during the COVID-19 pandemic for eight large Latin American cities. Indicators of mobility by socioeconomic status (SES) are generated by combining georeferenced mobile phone information with granular census data. Before the pandemic, a strong positive association between SES and mobility is documented. With the arrival of the pandemic, in most cases, a negative association between mobility and SES emerges. This new pattern is explained by a notably stronger reduction in mobility by high-SES individuals. A comparison of mobility for SES decile 1 vs decile 10 shows that, on average, the reduction is 75% larger in the case of decile 10. According to estimated lasso models, an indicator of government restrictions provides a parsimonious description of these heterogeneous responses. These estimations point to noticeable similarities in the patterns observed across cities. We also explore how the median distance traveled changed for individuals that travel at least 1 km (the intensive margin). We find that the reduction in mobility in this indicator was larger for high-SES individuals compared to low-SES individuals in six out of eight cities analyzed. The evidence is consistent with asymmetries in the feasibility of working from home and in the ability to smooth consumption under temporary income shocks.
dc.format.extent36
dc.identifier.doihttp://dx.doi.org/10.18235/0003315
dc.identifier.urlhttps://publications.iadb.org/publications/english/document/Socioeconomic-Status-and-Mobility-during-the-COVID-19-Pandemic-An-Analysis-of-Eight-Large-Latin-American-Cities.pdf
dc.language.isoen
dc.mediumAdobe PDF
dc.publisherInter-American Development Bank
dc.subjectCoronavirus
dc.subjectPandemics
dc.subjectMobile Phone System
dc.subjectGeographic Information System
dc.subject.jelcodeI1 - Health
dc.subject.jelcodeR4 - Transportation Economics
dc.subject.jelcodeR2 - Household Analysis
dc.subject.keywordsmobility;COVID-19;COVID-19;COVID-19;COVID-19;COVID-19;Socioeconomic status
dc.typeWorking Papers
idb.identifier.pubnumberIDB-WP-01184
idb.operationRG-E1698
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