Poverty increases to 39.2% in Argentina in 2022, a year of record inflation

Poverty reached 39.2% of the population in Argentina at the end of 2022, which represented a increase of almost three points compared to the rate of 36.5% in the first semester of last year, the state Institute of Statistics reported this Thursday.

He homelessness indexOn the other hand, it fell from 8.8% in the first half of 2022 to 8.1% in the second half, according to the household survey carried out by INDEC in the 31 main urban conglomerates.

In Argentina, the poverty line is established in relation to household income with respect to a basic basket of goods and services. Indigence is determined based on a food basket.

The very high inflation, which last year closed at 94.8%, a record in more than 30 years, directly affects these calculations.

The basic food basket for a family of four members was established last February in about 80,000 pesos (about 370 dollarsat the official exchange rate), the same amount that the minimum wage will reach in April.

The total basic food basket for a four-person household amounted to 177,000 pesos (around $820) in February, according to INDEC.