In 2013, Argentina’s President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner came under intense scrutiny when she announced that the country’s poverty rate was 4.7%. However, a recent report by the Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Censos (INDEC) closed the three-year gap revealing that close to a third of the population is living below the poverty line.

Argentina’s Poverty Status Based on Statistics

With a vibrant Spanish culture and colossal landscape, Argentina’s population sits just shy of 44 million. However, this nation is faced with severe poverty rates and economic inflation. During the reveal of the 2016 second quarter statistics; 32.2% of the population is currently experiencing household poverty at 23.1%, 4.8% below the household poverty line. Unemployment within the population also remains a threat with the open unemployment rate reaching 9.3% meanwhile the underemployment rate was 11.2%.

Homelessness a Possible Threat

With the population being plagued with Argentina’s poverty status, homelessness becomes a threat to the nation’s indigent. The total urban population of Argentina is 27.2 million and consists of 8.7 million households. Statistics of the second quarter reveal that 2 million households, including 8.7 million people are below the poverty line. Within the group, 45,000 households are living in poverty inclusive of 1.7 million homeless individuals.

Reaching Zero Poverty

There will be difficulty in reaching President Mauricio Macri’s zero poverty goal. The inflation rate in Argentina has risen to 40.5% since April 2016 following the three-year non-disclosure. The government intends to transfer the control of economic factors to the private sector from the public sector. Policies are aiming for a laissez-faire approach that allows for transactions between private parties devoid of government intervention.

One Forbes magazine contributor presents President Macri’s revelation of Argentina’s poverty statistics as heroic and the basis for the return of neoliberalism. “What we are starting to have in Argentina are real statistics. What we had until a few months ago was a fiction with no reality. It was a manipulation,” said Macri.

Progress in Process

Ban Ki-moon, the U.N. secretary-general, commended the Argentine Government Council for their support in international affairs and their commitment to sustainable development. The country has made great strides in tackling gender inequality as well as maintaining its commitment to the Paris Agreement.

President Macri acknowledges the present conditions of the country and moves in hopes that he would be appraised on his efforts to reduce the current figures. “This is our reality and I want to be evaluated on whether or not I was able to reduce poverty from now on,” said Macri.

– Shanique Wright

Photo: Flickr