Austerity Programs Under Conditions of Political Instability and Economic Depression: The Case of Bolivia

Poverty is a way of life for a large majority of Bolivians. In 1985 only Haiti among the countries in the Western Hemisphere had a per capita GNP lower than Bolivia's $470, according to World Bank statistics. In terms of social indicators, Bolivia is generally at the bottom of the list: It has the lowest life expectancy, the second highest infant mortality rate behind Haiti, the second lowest daily calorie supply behind Ecuador, the highest crude death rate, and the highest population-to-physician ratio. ¹