middle-class in 2015, up from 21% in 2001. If subjective measures of social class belonging are used, even more Latin Americans consider themselves as “middle class,” although their level of income would position them in the lower revenue category. The influence of the middleclass on the political agenda - driven by higher aspirations, growing expectations and evolving demands - may thus be even greater than statistics suggest and explain the growing dissatisfaction with the quality of public services. The report notes that trust in public institutions declined and satisfaction with public services has deteriorated, eroding the social contract in the region. For instance, the share of the population 32
satisfied with the quality of healthcare services fell from 57% in 2006 to 41 % in 2016, well below levels in the OECD of around 70%. Likewise, satisfaction with the education system fell from 63% to 56% over the same period. This contributes to citizens’ discontent and their unwillingness to pay taxes – so called “tax morale” – because they find them unjustifiable. In 2015, 52% of Latin Americans said they wanted to evade taxes if possible, an increase of 6% since 2011. Discontent with public services is more pressing amongst vulnerable and poor Latin Americans who cannot afford to seek better quality, more expensive services from the private sector.