Market of the Majority: The BOP Opportunity Map of Latin America and the Caribbean

The base of the economic pyramid (BOP) is a socio-demographic designation describing both the development needs and the market potential of about 4 billion people worldwide. The Market of the Majority documents the size and scope of the base of the pyramid market in 20 Latin American countries, using an analysis of household income and expenditure surveys. WRI’s analysis, using a methodology developed with World Bank and Inter-American Development Bank economists, defines the BOP as those earning less than $3260 USD (PPP, 2005) per year. In Latin America, that definition means that the BOP is 361 million people whose income is $510 billion. The Market of the Majority is among the first efforts to systematically document the size and scope of the market using statistical analysis. The Market of the Majority was launched by WRI president Jonathan Lash during the Inter-American Development Bank’s “Building Opportunity for the Majority” conference, June 11-14, 2006.