Xavier Sala-i-Martin facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Xavier Sala i Martín
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| Born | June 17, 1962 Cabrera de Mar, Catalonia, Spain
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| Field | Macroeconomics |
| School or tradition |
Neo-classical economics |
| Doctoral advisor |
Robert J. Barro N. Gregory Mankiw |
| Contributions | Economic growth Libertarianism |
| Information at IDEAS / RePEc | |
Xavier X. Sala i Martín is a well-known Spanish economist. He is a professor of economics at Columbia University in the United States.
He has also taught at other famous universities. These include Yale University, Harvard University, and the Universitat Pompeu Fabra in Barcelona. He also taught at the Barcelona Graduate School of Economics.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Xavier Sala i Martín was born on June 17, 1962. His hometown is Cabrera de Mar in Catalonia, Spain.
He studied economics at the Autonomous University of Barcelona. He earned his degree in 1985. Later, he went to Harvard University for his advanced studies. He finished his PhD in economics there in 1990.
Professional Work
Xavier Sala i Martín is a top expert in the field of economic growth. This area of economics looks at how countries get richer over time. He is often named among the most-cited economists in the world.
His work covers many topics. These include how economies grow, development in Africa, and how money works. He also writes about social security and health economics. He has written a book called Liberal Economics for Non-Economists and Non-Liberals. This book shares ideas about economic freedom.
Understanding Poverty and Inequality
Sala i Martín has studied how income is shared around the world. He used his research to estimate poverty levels and how unequal incomes are. His findings were different from what some big organizations believed.
For example, the United Nations and the World Bank thought that the number of poor people was growing. Sala i Martín's study suggested that both poverty rates and the total number of poor people were actually falling.
Also, these organizations believed that differences in individual incomes were increasing. But Sala i Martín's research showed that they were not. This offered a new way to look at global wealth.
Economic Textbooks
He has written important books for students. One is an economic growth textbook called Apuntes de Crecimiento Economico. He also co-wrote Economic Growth with Robert Barro. These books help students learn about how economies develop.
Global Competitiveness Index
Xavier Sala i Martín also helped create the Global Competitiveness Index. He worked with Elsa V. Artadi on this project. This index ranks countries based on how strong their economies are.
It has been used since 2004 for the Global Competitiveness Report. This report is published by the World Economic Forum. It helps people understand which countries have competitive economies.
Supporting Catalonia
He often works with media in Catalonia. He supports the idea of Catalan independence. In 2014, he spoke with José Manuel Barroso, who was the president of the European Commission. Sala i Martín expressed his hope for a peaceful and democratic way to resolve the situation between Spain and Catalonia.
Other Activities
Xavier Sala i Martín was involved with the famous football club FC Barcelona. He was a board member and the club's treasurer from 2004 to 2010. He even served as the club's president during the 2006 election period.
He also started a non-profit group called Umbele: A Future for Africa. This organization works to help economies grow in Africa.
He writes columns for the Spanish newspaper La Vanguardia. You can also hear him weekly on the Catalan radio station RAC 1. He appears on the television show Divendres and contributes to CNN.
He supports Catalan independence. He gives talks around Catalonia with a group he helped create. This group, called Col·lectiu Wilson, is made up of university teachers who support this cause.
Prizes and Recognition
Xavier Sala i Martín has received many awards for his work. He has been honored as a Distinguished Teacher in Graduate Economics three times. These awards were given at Columbia and Yale universities.
In 2004, he won the King Juan Carlos I Prize. This award is given every two years to the best economist in Spain and Latin America. In 2006, he received the Lenfest Prize. This prize recognizes the best teacher at Columbia University.
In 2017, a UK company called Richtopia listed him. He was ranked number 14 on their list of the 100 Most Influential Economists.
Works
- Sala-i-Martin, Xavier; Pinkovsky, Maxim (March 2010). African poverty is falling ... much faster than you think!, NBER Working Paper Nr. 15775, National Bureau of Economic Research, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA.
See also
In Spanish: Xavier Sala i Martín para niños
