He Sociologist and director of the Argentine Social Debt Observatory at the Argentine Catholic University (UCA)Agustín Salvia, questioned the Government’s poverty data and said that, according to the analysis of the organism that leads, “Milei took 3.4 million people from poverty” with respect to the “48% left Alberto Fernández.”
From the government they highlighted numerous times that Milei’s management managed “More than 10 million people from poverty”according to the INDEC data. However, Salvia relativized the president’s sayings: “The situation is critical, we are in full recession. There is an exaggeration of the president in this figure.”
UCA analysis on poverty measurement
On the one hand, Salvia acknowledged that “there was indeed a decrease in statistical poverty, at this stage poverty will have been around 35%. Those points that fell, From 55% of the 2023 finals, they are 20 points that translate into 8 million people “
“Statistically it is true, but we are comparing different price systems prior to devaluation,” argued the sociologist.
“The reproduction cost of a family is distributed between current expenses and fixed expenses” Salvia detailed. In that sense, on the current situation he affirmed that “the service expenses are higher and the budget of each family has to be higher. That makes it in People’s pockets are less silver after paying everything“
“People do not have plenty of money, he lacks to cover current expenses. The statistics are measuring with the same thermometer two different things “, He added.
INDEC is in the center of the debate since in September of last year Lavagna framehad announced that a New consumer price index. In August of this year, the National Institute of Statistics and Census (INDEC) suffered two new casualties: it’s about Georgina Giglio, in charge of the Directorate of Consumer Price Indices, and Guillermo Manzano, who was in charge of the Directorate of living conditions.
“The effect that had not updated the Price index During the period in which the figures were updated it was huge. Today, intermensual variation is not very clear, “he explained.” INDEC has a debt to make statistical comparison possible, but will be outdated. “
“Perhaps poverty is better measure than before, so what was the right number before?”, He expanded in this regard.
As for the comparison with the government of Alberto Fernández, Salvia said that “when you compare the real salary with IPC values you will say ‘it is better than in November, October 2024’. But if you make an adequate adjustment, contemplating the changes, you will realize that it is below.”
Despite doubts – and exaggeration criticism – Salvia acknowledged: “I don’t know if what the president says is a trap o It is typical of the Statistics Institute When he faces a process like the one that happened. If delayed, we will have to evaluate what happened. “
On the delay in the implementation of the new measurement format, the head of the UCA Observatory said: “Today everything is ready to measure and update, but it is not done. We will have to ask why”
On the other hand, Salvia recognized government management with certain social containment policies and, in that sense, stressed that “The popular sectors were really benefiting from the increases of the AUH and the feed card. “
Finally, Salvia sentenced: “Poverty when Milei ends his mandate will be a much discussed topic: some will say that it is inheritance, others that is the inflationary process.”
Source: Ambito
