Socioeconomic Disparities in Latin America among Same-Sex and Different-Sex Couples

Economic research on sexual minority individuals in low- and middle-income countries is limited due to the lack of representative data including information on sexual orientation. This paper uses census data from eight Latin American countries to explore socioeconomic disparities between same-sex and different-sex couples. Individuals in same-sex couples tend to be younger, less likely to identify as Indigenous, more educated, and less likely to live with children. Unemployment and income gaps vary by country. Individuals in same-sex couples have higher individual incomes in Brazil, while in Mexico women in same-sex couples earn more than they do in different-sex couples, but the opposite is true for men. Homeownership rates are lower among same-sex couples than among different-sex couples. Finally, asset-based welfare measures show mixed results: same-sex couples are overrepresented at the lower end of the distribution in some countries, while in others, they appear less frequently at the lower end.