Socioeconomic Exclusion in Boom Times: The Case of Cartagena, Colombia

Abstract

Cartagena is undergoing a major economic boom due to the dynamism of sectors such as manufacturing, tourism, and port activity. We study social exclusion and environmental vulnerability in Cartagena in the current economic growth scenario. We describe the main socio-economic indicators of the city and compare them with other major cities and metropolitan areas of Colombia. The results show that Cartagena has high levels of poverty and low coverage in basic public services. Environmental vulnerability is greater in areas inhabited by people of lower income, neighborhoods with populations of mostly African descent. Through principal component analysis, we calculate an index of social exclusion and find that in this dimension Cartagena ranks first among the thirteen major cities of the country. This result reflects the need to take advantage of the current economic boom to design policies to reduce social exclusion and to better address climate change.