Uruguay Tops the Americas Quarterly 2016 Social Inclusion Index

New York, September 30, 2016—For the third year in a row Uruguay tops the Americas Quarterly Social Inclusion Index, an annual survey released today by Americas Society/Council of the Americas (AS/COA). Uruguay’s achievement, its third first-place finish in the index’s five years of existence, is supported by a strong performance in a range of variables from economic growth and job generation to the protection of political and civil rights. Countries in Central America’s Northern Triangle remain near the bottom of the pack across the majority of indicators. The Americas Quarterly Social Inclusion Index is an innovative way to measure how effectively countries are serving all their citizens—regardless of race, income level, or creed. The 2016 index ranks 17 countries on 23 variables.

"Uruguay continues to be a model for social inclusion in Latin America," said AS/COA Vice President of Policy and Americas Quarterly Editor-in-Chief Brian Winter. "Its progress in recent years on issues including women’s empowerment and marriage equality has added to its long-standing status as a champion of egalitarian values."

"Promoting inclusionary policies and targeting vulnerable populations is a priority for every government in the region," says AS/COA Senior Director of Policy and Americas Quarterly Senior Editor Alana Tummino. "We believe the index is a tool that policymakers can use to target these populations as well as measure the impact of policies already in place."

In 2016, AQ partnered with Vanderbilt University’s Latin American Public Opinion Project (LAPOP) in data collection and calculation of the index. This exciting new collaboration gave way to a comprehensive review of the index’s methodology, which impacted the countries’ overall scores and rankings. Consequently, noticeable changes in the newly released scale are not tantamount to sudden, immediate strides in social inclusion compared to previous indexes. While the methodological changes may make it less straightforward to compare results year over year, they more accurately reflect differences between countries and, moving forward, offer an improved and more effective way of tracking progress in the region.

Generously supported by the Seattle International Foundation, the Americas Quarterly 2016 Social Inclusion Index provides recommendations for countries to improve their standing in the ranking. Those recommendations include:

• Women’s rights are lagging in many countries in the region. Countries such as El Salvador, Guatemala, Nicaragua, and Paraguay can improve their respective rankings and protect women’s health and right to choose through legalizing reproductive rights.
• Legalizing same-sex civil unions and marriage, granting same-sex couples adoption rights, as well as protecting gender identity are steps that countries including Guatemala, Honduras, and Paraguay could take.
• Inadequate protection of political and civil rights in Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua could be improved by strengthening the rule the law and creating more accountability for elected officials.
• Providing greater access to formal jobs and housing in countries like Honduras and Nicaragua will greatly improve their overall standing in the index.

• Download a PDF of the index.
• Learn more about the 2016 Social Inclusion Index.
• Here's why Uruguay is Latin America's social inclusion leader. 
• View the 2015 index.

Press inquiries:
AS/COA Media Relations | mediarelations@as-coa.org | +1-212-277-8384 or +1-212-277-8333.

Americas Quarterly (AQ) is the premier publication dedicated to politics, business, and culture in the Western Hemisphere, with a focus on Latin America. Launched in 2007 and based in New York City, AQ’s award-winning magazine and website appeal to a broad audience interested in the region. Readers include top policymakers in Washington, DC, Brasilia, Mexico City, and beyond; executives at Latin American multinationals and Fortune 500 companies; opinion leaders in universities and the media; and a vast array of general readers who are passionate about Latin America. Editorial board members include former presidents Fernando Henrique Cardoso, Ricardo Lagos, Ernesto Zedillo, and Alejandro Toledo, as well as leading voices from business, journalism, finance, and academia. Americas Quarterly is an independent publication of Americas Society and Council of the Americas, which for more than 50 years have been dedicated to dialogue in our hemisphere.