But, by the second half of the 2000’s, everything changed: prolonged macroeconomic stability, competent center-left or center-right governments, sensible social policies, and global economic growth allowed countries like Mexico, Brazil, Chile, Uruguay, and even Argentina to take the next giant step. By 2008 or so, around 55% of these countries’ populations belonged to the middle class, by whatever definition one used.
但是，到21世纪下叶，一切都变了：长期稳定的宏观经济、能干的中左翼或中右翼政府、明智的社会政策以及全球经济增长使墨西哥、巴西、智利、乌拉圭，甚至阿根廷等各国能够再迈出一大步。大约截止2008年，在这些国家的总人口中，约55%属于中产阶级，无论根据谁的定义都是如此。