The poverty rate reached 49.9% of Argentina’s population in the third quarter of this year, while indigence reached 12.3% in the period, according to data from the Argentine Social Debt Observatory, calculated by the Catholic University (UCA).
The figures are lower than official data from the Indec institute, which showed rates of 51% and 15.8%, respectively, in the second quarter. But the values are the highest since 2004.
Agustín Salvia, director of the Observatory, told the website Infobae that the improvement in indicators was mainly due to the slowdown in inflation in the period, at the same time that there was no significant increase in unemployment.
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However, he stated that it is possible that this will not be felt in the pockets or expressed in higher levels of consumption due to the change in the composition of fixed household expenses, as a result of increases in communication, transport, gas and electricity services.
Also according to the University study, poverty among children and young people under 18 years of age rose to 65.5%, compared to 62.9% in 2023. Indigence in this segment rose from 16.2% last year to 19.2% in the third quarter of 2024.
The director highlighted that 2 out of every 10 Argentine children live in extreme poverty and that current levels of indigence and poverty are the highest since the 2002 economic crisis. “This implies a strong loss of human capital and intergenerational disinvestment” , he commented.
