The definition of social classes faces the inherent difficulty of social phenomena and the problem of the multiple variables that must be taken into account for their classification, many of which are dynamic, such as income or the number of people in the household. Broadly speaking, and based on common sense, the traditional classification of classes as high, middle, and low follows a graduation from wealth to poverty, but their boundaries are imprecise.
In an attempt to clarify the issue, the National Institute of Statistics and Geography (Inegi) set a precedent with the study Quantifying the Middle Class in Mexico 2010-2020, which calculated the income of lower-class households at 11,343 pesos per month, middle-class households at 22,297 pesos, and upper-class households at 77,975 pesos.
In a more precise classification, but based on 2010 data, it was established that the per capita expenditure of lower-class individuals in urban areas ranged between 1,821 and 2,114 pesos per month; while in rural areas it ranged from 958 to 1,578 pesos.
For its part, the National Council for the Evaluation of Social Development Policy (Coneval), which is responsible for the evaluation of poverty and the monitoring and evaluation of public policies in Mexico, has developed a methodology for the multidimensional measurement of poverty that includes nine indicators:
– Per capita current income
– Average educational lag in the household
– Access to health services
– Access to social security
– Quality and spaces of the dwelling
– Access to basic services in the dwelling
– Access to nutritious and quality food
– Degree of social cohesion
– Degree of accessibility to paved roads
In all of them, it establishes factors that indicate whether a person has deficiencies in the mentioned areas, that is, if they are poor in that aspect and, therefore, belong to the lower class.
What services must a household have to not belong to the lower class in Mexico?
In the section on Quality and spaces of the dwelling, Coneval establishes that households out of poverty have the following characteristics:
– They have a solid floor and not dirt.
– The roof is made of a material other than sheets, cardboard, or waste.
– The walls are made of solid materials such as bricks or concrete and not mud (agglomeration of mud and reeds), sheets, or waste material.
– They have an occupancy of less than 2.5 people per room, counting the kitchen but not corridors or bathrooms.
In addition, households out of poverty have the following basic services:
– Piped water inside the dwelling, or outside the dwelling but within the property.
– Drainage connected to the public network or to a septic tank
– Electricity from the public service, solar panel, or another source, private plant
– The fuel used for cooking is LP gas, natural gas, or electricity; and if it is wood or coal, the kitchen has a chimney.
It is important to mention that meeting these points only indicates minimum requirements in a given aspect and that families in these classes of households may have deficiencies in another of the indicators already mentioned.
The indicators of social deprivation can be consulted here.
On the other hand, in the Inegi study mentioned earlier, it is determined that the best method of measuring social class is given by household spending, as it maintains a link between permanent income and wealth.
Source: El Informador
