Inequality of Access to Public Services of Basic Sanitation in Brazilian Municipalities: Analysis of Kuznets Curve and Selectivity of Public Policies Hypothesis

Abstract

This study investigates the effects of economic growth and possible political motivations in the distribution of access to public basic sanitation services in Brazilian municipalities. Along with municipality indicators relating to inequality of access associated with income and the location of households in urban or rural areas and using panel econometric estimates, three hypotheses are checked: 1) the relationship between inequality of access and municipality per capita income in an “inverted-U” shape based on the Kuznets Curve (KC); or 2) in the shape of an “N”, following KC criticisms; and 3) the relationship between inequality of access and total access in “inverted-U” suggesting a possible selectivity in public sanitation policies in Brazil. In general, the evidence obtained refutes the KC hypothesis and some evidence supports the “N” shape, especially for spatial inequalities. The evidence is more robust as regards the hypothesis of selectivity of public policies.