Born into inequality: Your birthplace should not shape your future

The Harsh Truth: Inequality of Opportunity

Colombia is among the most unequal countries in Latin America and the world, with disparities not only in income but also in opportunity. The paper "Where You Are Born Matters: Inequality of Opportunities and Intergenerational Mobility across Colombia’s Territory” uses machine learning and national survey data to show that nearly half of income inequality in Colombia is due to circumstances beyond one's control, with birthplace, playing a significant role. Where you are born should not outweigh your talent, effort, or ambition.

The study also examines Colombia’s 32 departments, highlighting differences in social mobility across generations. In Bogotá, children often surpass their parents' education (absolute mobility) and have a higher chance of improving their socio-economic status compared to the rung in which their parents stood (relative mobility). However, in poorer areas like La Guajira, Vichada, and Nariño, mobility is low, (Figure 1), and children frequently remain in the same socio-economic position as their parents. Women tend to surpass the education of their parents, but in some departments, such as Guainía or Amazonas, the gender gap in relative mobility is considerably large. This is not merely a rural vs. urban issue; it's a territorial inequality crisis. 

Despite 78% of Colombians having more education than their parents,  Colombia ranks low globally for relative mobility, lower than OECD countries and the LAC region averages as depicted in the global study “Fair Progress? Economic Mobility across Generations Around the World” from a few years back, meaning parental education still heavily influences one's own. While Bogotá’s mobility is near the OECD average, in La Guajira is significantly lower. The study also introduces a previously unexplored factor of exposure to internal armed conflict, which further limits opportunities for children born in conflict-affected areas.

On a positive side, relative mobility has been increasing over time, and the gap between regions has shrunk as generations pass. For example, relative mobility in the Pacific Region increased significantly between 1960 and 1990 cohorts (from 15.7 to 58.7 for children born in the 1960 cohort and 1990 cohort, respectively, and 49.2 to 70.3 in Bogota), narrowing the gap between these two locations. Nevertheless, poorer regions still experience lower mobility.

When half the population is hindered by birth circumstances, Colombia loses talent, productivity, and growth. Inequality of opportunity is detrimental to everyone.
 

What Can Be Done?

To address these challenges, Colombia can invest in economic opportunities, regardless of birthplace. This includes increasing access to quality education across the territory; policies can include the introduction of a textbook and educational resource policy for foundational learning areas, and professional development program for teachers. Beyond education, access to primary health care, prioritizing rural, remote, and peri-urban areas, is a central part of the agenda of increasing human capital. Policies need to also increase access to economic opportunities, including to more productive jobs; expanding connectivity from residential areas in peri-urban spaces and from smaller municipalities to the tertiary and secondary road network is one of the policy areas that can help increase opportunities and social mobility.

There are already examples of successful interventions in Colombia that can offer some lessons for scalability and that show that progress is within reach. For example, the program “Colombia: Estrategia Hospital Padrino” paired higher- with lower-capacity hospitals to provide technical support, including through telemedicine, with a significant impact on reducing maternal mortality in certain areas of the country. Similarly, the “All to Learn Program” focused on improving foundational learning, particularly in marginalized and vulnerable, through extensive support and resources to schools, teachers, and students. It contributed to narrowing spatial inequalities in school outcomes.

This research highlights gaps and who is left behind, serving as both a wake-up call and a roadmap. By striving for a Colombia where every child has a fair chance at success, regardless of birthplace, the country can unlock its full potential.