Who is writing the Economic History of Latin America in the 21st century?

Abstract

Approximately 5% of the articles published in the leading international academic journals of economic history focus on Latin America, a figure that has remained relatively stable over the past 25 years. This article examines who has authored these publications between 2000 and 2024, analyzing whether they were the result of individual or collaborative efforts, as well as the gender distribution, the countries in which authors’ institutions are located, and the national origins of the researchers. We also explore the distribution of articles by country and historical period, along with the citation patterns these publications have received. Our findings reveal that just over 43% of economic historians who published on Latin America during this period were affiliated with institutions within the region, while approximately 55% were of Latin American origin. This suggests that around 20% of Latin American economic historians are working from institutions outside their home countries, reflecting a notable academic diaspora. Among non-Latin American contributors, Spanish and US-based scholars are the most active in publishing on the region. However, fewer than one-third of their articles involve collaboration with Latin American researchers, despite the potential benefits such partnerships could offer in terms of knowledge exchange, contextual understanding, and academic development.