Why is this not the situation in Spain itself then?
Well, there isn't really a short answer to that; it had to do w/the civil war, the Franco dictatorship, how the latter softened and migrated to democracy; and in the latter years of the former, the Spanish Miracle.
China is not the first country with an authoritarian government and a liberalized economy.
www.forbes.com
Its also important to say, for all the gains, that Spain is still a bit of economic laggard, Canada is ranked #24 in GDP per capita (we should be doing better, not taking solace in being 2 spots above the UK)........But Spain is down at #34.
- For comparison, Chile #58, Mexico #70, Brazil#82
Also that its transition into the E-U, along with the consequences of problematic banking and real estate laws has left the country with double-digit unemployment to this day, though there are some signs of recovery.
Pinochet, like Franco was a dictator in Chile, for a long period, though shorter and later in time than Franco's in Spain.
He likewise, notwithstanding some grotesque human rights abuses, made moves towards economic modernization which have in fact made Chile the relative poster child of Latin America.
However, inequality was allowed to fester to a much greater degree than in Spain; likely, in part, due to Spains presence within the E-U.
Once again, for comparison here, Canada's GINI coefficient (or measure of income inequality) is about 34, While Spain is 36 and Chile is 47 (lower number being more equal society) Finland and Norway are both at 26.8
