The mysterious case of the disappearing Indians: changes in self-identification as indigenous in the latest inter-census period in Bolivia

Abstract

ABSTRACTThe 2012 Bolivian census produced a surprising result: 41% of the adult population identified themselves as belonging to an indigenous group. This represents a dramatic decline in the indigenous population compared with the 62% that was registered in the previous 2001 census. This turnaround is especially surprising considering the election of Bolivia’s first indigenous president in 2006 and the implementation of a series of policies granting indigenous groups particular rights and benefits, which would have tended to increase indigenous identity. Using survey data from between 2004 and 2014 from LAPOP’s AmericasBarometer, this paper shows that the primary reason for this change is a difference in the instrument used for identifying the indigenous population: the self-identification question employed in the Bolivian censuses. The paper also explores socioeconomic factors associated with identification as indigenous and with other relevant ethnic categories in Bolivia, finding evidence suggesting that part of this identification is based on political grounds, and providing empirical elements that could contribute to the debate on how to measure ethnic identity in census and surveys.