The debts of Argentine families grow and reach 91% of households in Mayaccording to the latest report of the Institute of Social and Economic Statistics and Trends (Ietse). Among the most outstanding expenses are the food item that explains 58% of credit card debts.
The debts of the families were taken by 73% in the year 2024after the strong devaluation of the government of Javier Milei and consistent inflation, that in the first semester accumulated a 64.99%. In the midst of that context, the purchasing power It also remained in very low thresholds, which reached a fall in 10.38% real.
In 2025, 15% of homes took debt, while 12% already had a deficit since 2023 or previously. This renewal and accumulation, in turn, demonstrates the inability of families to settle their previous liabilities.
65% of the residences contracted between two and three debts, while 12% acquired more than three and 23% only one. “Compared to 2024, the number of households with more than three debts (from 8% to 12%) increased, which reflects greater fragmentation and recurrence of credit as a subsistence strategy”they highlighted from Ietse.
Unpaid debts, which involve simple or judicial blackberries, represented the 76% of the total. In that line, it is highlighted that the judicial instance advanced 6 percentage points (PP) in the interannual comparison, which reflects a worrying rise in the critical financial situation of households.
More than half of credit card debts are to buy food
Regarding the forms of financing, Argentines choose bank and non -bank credit cards by 30.5%, which suffered a growth of 5 pp compared to the same month of 2024. As a counterpart, the financial and lenders They decreased significantly, which can reflect a restriction in access or a negative perception of these sources by households.
In that line, The use of credit card was more than food purchase: 58% of debts are explained by this itemwhile only 15% are attributed to the clothing and 11% to the fuel. “This trend underlines the use of credit cards for essential needs, a conclusive symptom of impoverishment,” they emphasize.
As for the origin of bank debts, they are explained by 34% by the refinancing of the credit card. This consolidates the circular debt, that is, bank loans are requested to refinance credit card debts. On the other hand, only 19% are due to personal loans, 14% to pledge and 6% to mortgages.
In this scenario of great indebtedness, 56% of households allocate between 40% and 60% or more of their monthly income to the payment of debts. The increase with respect to 2024 shows how over -indebtedness erodes the available income.
“The indebtedness in Argentina ceased to be a transient tool to become a structural phenomenon. The growing use of credit to meet basic needs such as food, reveals an impoverishment of households that goes beyond the economic situation. Inflation, today stabilized but persistently high and a notable fall in purchasing power, were the causes of a crisis of income that forces many families to live in a state of emergency permanent financial, “concludes the report.
Source: Ambito
