Poverty has no limit in Argentina

[BarryBloomWwf]

But it just feels so cold to talk about numbers when the minimum pension here is 300,000 ARS. Can you believe that? Who could live on that salary?

Is that per month because I live on less than that per month lol and not because I'm trying to be frugal I guess I just naturally don't spend money, my favourite food is fried rice with ground beef and redbeans with a lot of seasonings also. I can and have live off that only for months at a time and enjoy it

 

[Blockchain]

Is that per month because I live on less than that per month lol and not because I'm trying to be frugal I guess I just naturally don't spend money, my favourite food is fried rice with ground beef and redbeans with a lot of seasonings also. I can and have live off that only for months at a time and enjoy it

Do you really live on that little? How? Can you breakdown your spending? That seems to be impossible. How much are you spending each month @BarryBloomWwf ?

 

[CecilM]

I imagine he is only referring to food, because a minimum rent in CABA depends on the number of rooms, but it usually starts at 500,000 ARS or more. Not to mention that retirees here earn 300,000 per month, and they’re the most affected group. As others said above, it feels very cold to talk about percentages, numbers, and statistics when there are people who have to survive, if you can even call it that, on such a miserable pension.

 

[Cardiac Arrest]

Sad to see poverty rates look like they are heading back up.

Poverty Rose Again at the End of 2025 Due to Higher Food Prices​

Poverty increased to 32.5% in the fourth quarter of 2025, driven by rising basic food and living costs, which grew 4.1% in December, outpacing overall inflation, according to the Nowcast by Universidad Torcuato Di Tella (UTDT).

In the third quarter, the poverty rate had stood at 28.7%. A typical family needed $1,308,713 pesos per month to stay above the poverty line, and $589,510 pesos to avoid falling into extreme poverty.

 

[VINO]

Many aren't buying that poverty is falling. This is the typical reaction around town.

 

[Cheap Bastard]

Many aren't buying that poverty is falling. This is the typical reaction around town.

The banks have literally had to start offering high interest loans so people can pay their monthly condo bills. Things aren't as rosy as what Milei is saying.

 

[lemonade]

At this point it seems like he is just making up numbers.

 

[Bingo]

At this point it seems like he is just making up numbers.

I don't buy the poverty numbers. Like others have mentioned I see more people digging through the trash than ever.

 

[VINO]

I don't buy the poverty numbers. Like others have mentioned I see more people digging through the trash than ever.

View attachment 10273

I sure see more people dumpster diving now. I am not sure about official poverty numbers. I didn't believe the official numbers from the government under Alberto and not sure I believe everything now. I read that Milei is actually giving out more support to maintain the poor via social handouts which is probably what is helping them right now.

 

[Bettina]

I sure see more people dumpster diving now. I am not sure about official poverty numbers. I didn't believe the official numbers from the government under Alberto and not sure I believe everything now. I read that Milei is actually giving out more support to maintain the poor via social handouts which is probably what is helping them right now.

It seems like the government is just making up new numbers as they go.

 

[Edgardo]

I’ve never seen so many elderly going out to the streets to sell things, sing, beg, or even sleeping on the street like this year. It breaks my soul because nowadays you go out and you see them in every shopping center or pedestrian street looking for a few bucks when they should be at home resting after working their entire lives.

 

[Cardiac Arrest]

We will see how much patience people have. I'm noticing on social media more people seem like they are losing steam and not getting to the end of the month.

 

[Tango]

With the basket of goods that the Government does not want to publish, poverty would be six points higher than that measured by the Indec​

"A black day for the country's public statistics," said Martín Rozada, an economist at Di Tella University and one of the professionals who best measures inflation and poverty.​

"My interpretation is that it was a political interference to prevent the publication, as was in the Indec publication calendar, of the consumer price index with the new basket of 2017-2018. This, and I want to be clear, is very different from an intervention of the institute, because the institute will continue to publish its statistics regularly and all those statistics are based on internationally approved methodologies, especially the CPI."

The phrase was carried out by Martín Rozada, the economist at Di Tella University and one of the professionals who best measures inflation and poverty

Con la canasta de bienes que el Gobierno no quiere publicar, la pobreza sería seis puntos más alta que la que mide el Indec

"Un día negro para las estadísticas públicas del país", dijo Martín Rozada, economista de la Universidad Di Tella y uno de los profesionales que mejor mide la inflación y la pobreza.

eleconomista.com.ar

 

[Betsy Ross]

With the basket of goods that the Government does not want to publish, poverty would be six points higher than that measured by the Indec​

"A black day for the country's public statistics," said Martín Rozada, an economist at Di Tella University and one of the professionals who best measures inflation and poverty.​

"My interpretation is that it was a political interference to prevent the publication, as was in the Indec publication calendar, of the consumer price index with the new basket of 2017-2018. This, and I want to be clear, is very different from an intervention of the institute, because the institute will continue to publish its statistics regularly and all those statistics are based on internationally approved methodologies, especially the CPI."

The phrase was carried out by Martín Rozada, the economist at Di Tella University and one of the professionals who best measures inflation and poverty

Con la canasta de bienes que el Gobierno no quiere publicar, la pobreza sería seis puntos más alta que la que mide el Indec

"Un día negro para las estadísticas públicas del país", dijo Martín Rozada, economista de la Universidad Di Tella y uno de los profesionales que mejor mide la inflación y la pobreza.

eleconomista.com.ar

I saw a few reports that said that the number for January would have been higher but less than 1%. Not sure I by that but Rozada is well respected and this article says the official number with the new basket wouldn't have been much more. It is a bonehead move not to go through with what they said they were going to do.

Things can go sideways in Argentina quickly once people feel like they can't trust you.

 

[Esposas]

Well the problem the government will have now is all their numbers will be questioned. If you can't count on #s of what the government is putting out it isn't good.

Now people are coming out saying the poverty numbers are fake too and poverty rates went up. CEDEF just came out with a report that said the poverty numbers were a lie.

The CEDEF report challenges the "official" narrative that poverty is falling. While the government has been celebrating a sharp reduction in poverty figures (citing a drop to roughly 32%), the report argues this is based on flawed data.

• The 9% Figure: The report concludes that if you calculate poverty using hard administrative data (official records of registered salaries from SIPA, public sector wages, and pensions) rather than the Permanent Household Survey (EPH), poverty has actually risen by approximately 9% (reaching roughly 44%) since the start of the Milei administration.
  
  
• The Discrepancy: The scandal lies in the gap between the two measurement methods. The EPH (a survey based on interviews) shows incomes recovering by ~20% in real terms. However, official salary and tax registries show real incomes falling by over 18%. CEDEF argues it is statistically impossible for the survey to be accurate when hard data contradicts it so sharply.
  

The controversy has gained traction due to several compounding factors:

1. INDEC Credibility: The report accusations have revived fears of political intervention in INDEC. This comes amidst news of internal turmoil at the institute, including the reported departure of director Marco Lavagna, allegedly due to executive pressure to delay or manipulate inflation (IPC) and poverty data.
   
   
   
2. "Falsified" EPH: The opposition claims the EPH is being used to "draw" (fake) a recovery. They argue that the survey methodology is failing to capture the reality of the recession or is being deliberately manipulated to show a "V-shaped recovery" that doesn't exist in the real economy.
   
   
   
3. Methodological Battle: The government defends the EPH as the standard international methodology. The critics argue that in a context of high inflation and recession, the survey has lost quality and only administrative records (tax/pension data) tell the truth.
   
   

The report alleges that the government is celebrating a reduction in poverty that exists only on paper, while the "real" data shows that nearly half the country (44%) remains below the poverty line.

 

[Avocado]

The numbers that Milei is putting out are all lies. Poverty is not falling. You can see the proof in the streets.

 

[Bill]

The numbers that Milei is putting out are all lies. Poverty is not falling. You can see the proof in the streets.

I do see more people in the streets and more homeless.

In Argentina, locals are taking loans to buy food

Argentinians are taking on loans, selling their belongings, and living on credit cards to pay for basics including food.

www.aljazeera.com