Poverty rate in Argentina rises in first half of 2026

From January to June 2026, the poverty rate in Argentina rose by 4.1 percentage points, from 28.2 to 32.3 percent, wiping out much of the incumbent government's previous gains. Al Jazeera television reported this.

It turned out that the proportion of the population living in extreme poverty increased from 6.3 to 7.5 percent. Unemployment strengthened to 7.9 percent, the worst level since 2021. Average per capita family income rose 11.5 percent in the first half of the year, but the cost of basic necessities rose 20 percent. The economic situation is expected to continue to deteriorate. By the end of the year, the poverty rate could rise to 35 percent.

In this regard, Al Jazeera recalled that the current President of Argentina, Javier Miley, has repeatedly stated that the decline in poverty indicates that his economic policies based on free market principles are bearing fruit. However, the poverty rate rose to nearly 53 percent in the first half of 2024 after the government's peso devaluation and massive spending cuts sharply reduced purchasing power.

Average salaries remain below what they were in real terms when Miley took office in December 2023. The rating of the head of state continues to fall. A September poll showed that among low-income respondents, 70 percent disapproved of the president's performance. The year before this figure was 57 percent.