Desigualdades regionais no Rio Grande do Sul: uma abordagem multidimensional, utilizando o Índice de Desenvolvimento Socioeconômico (Idese), 2007-10

This paper aims to explore regional inequalities in Rio Grande do Sul, the southernmost Brazilian state, through the results of the new Socioeconomic Development Index (Idese), a multidimensional development index. We assume that the populations of the poor regions of Rio Grande do Sul undergo deprivations not only because of insufficient income levels, but also due to inadequate access to education and health services. Therefore, we use a broader concept of regional inequalities. Our analysis is based upon territorial divisions used for planning purposes within the State: the Functional Regions of Planning (RFs) and the Regional Development Council (Coredes). In order to measure regional inequalities, we opted for the Theil inequality index adapted for multidimensional indexes. Our results suggest that Idese inequality between municipalities in the State is due more to inequality within the Coredes than between the Coredes or the Functional Regions. In addition, 60% of "intra-Coredes" inequality arise from differences between the municipalities of the Corede Metropolitano Delta do Jacuí, home to the capital city, Porto Alegre, and some peripheral municipalities.