The poverty index improved in Uruguay compared to the September measurement, and it stood at 9.1% at the end of 2022, according to the latest data published by the National Statistics Institute (INE). Although this represents a decrease in the population below the poverty line of 1.6%, what is the country’s situation compared to other Latin American countries?
The data on poverty at the regional level They are scattered and varied. On the one hand, because each country has its own way of measuring this indicator, with national poverty lines that are sometimes more than one for statistical purposes. On the other hand, the entities and institutions in charge of the measurements have different deadlines for updating the indices, so it is often difficult to compare the same period immediately.
However the world Bank it carries out its own measurement based on national poverty lines —that is, considering the statistical specificities of each country—, adding its own considerations; although it does not consider all the countries of Latin America. But, if these figures are taken into account, as well as the estimates of this indicator for 2022 in each territory, it is possible to put together a regional ranking.
What are the poverty rates in the region?
In the case of Argentina, The official figures for the second half of 2022 are not yet known, and only the report of the National Institute of Statistics and Censuses (Indec) for the first half of the year. In this way, the latest poverty index to date indicated that 36.5% of Argentines did not manage to cover any of their basic needs.
However, if one takes into account the Poverty Nowcast from Torcuato Di Tella University, the estimate between June and November 2022 reached a poverty rate of 39.9%. With a 95% confidence interval, the number could be between 38.3% and 41.5%. For the World Bank, this indicator in the neighboring country is already, by December 2022, at 42%.
Chili went through a difficult year in terms of inflation that affected, on the one hand, the poverty floor considered in the National Socioeconomic Characterization Survey 2022 (Casen); and, on the other, the poverty index itself. Although the first official results will only be known in July, it is expected that 10.5% of the population will fall below poverty in this measurement. For the World Bank, the figure is around 10.8%.
both of Brazil like Paraguayan, The international organization does not have its own estimates. However, regarding the former, the latest information available is that poverty skyrocketed to 29.4%, the highest in ten years —without official measurements by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE)—; while for the second an index of 21.5% is estimated at the end of 2022 —also, without updates to the National Statistics Institute (INE) Paraguayan.
What position does Uruguay occupy in the region?
If only the numbers from the World Bank are taken into account —in these estimates, Uruguay ended the year with a poverty index of 11.6%—, the country is the second in the region with the least amount of population below the poverty line established at the territorial level; only behind Chile.
In this measurement, there is a significant gap to the following countries in the table, which would be Nicaragua (24.9%), The Savior (26.2%) and Costa Rica (30%).
If, instead, the data recently released by the INE are considered, which place the poverty rate at 9.1%, then Uruguay has the lowest recorded figures for this indicator in Latin America.
Source: Ambito
