He Argentine Social Debt Observatory of the Argentine Catholic University (ODSA-UCA), which has been measuring socioeconomic indicators for years, released a report this Monday according to which poverty rose from 44.7% in the third quarter of 2023 to 55.5% in the first quarter of this year, to while indigence went from 9.6% to 17.5% in the same period.
According to the same study, poverty – which is determined by the value of the basic food basket – It already reaches 24.9 million residents in urban areas in the country, while some 7.8 million people of them are immersed in extreme poverty or indigence.
“Total food insecurity for urban areas surveyed by the ODSA-UCA survey reaches 24.7% of people, 20.8% of households and 32.2% of children and adolescents. For On the other hand, they are in an even more serious situation, with severe food insecurity for 10.9% of people, 8.8% of households and 13.9% of children and adolescents (NNyA)”highlights a report under the title “Structural social debts in Argentine society.”
“When considering the AMBA, the values of total food insecurity are located at 26.4% of people, 21.8% of households and 35% of children and adolescents. When considering severe food insecurity they are located at 9. 9%, 12.7% and 16.5%, respectively”is added in the document prepared by the UCA observatory.
It is also noted that “the high values of food deprivation suffered by the population try to be compensated with actions carried out at different levels of the State”.
“Considering children and adolescents, 42.6% of them reside in homes that receive the AUH+Food Card, 50% attend school canteens, 36.7% receive boxes or bags of food from canteens and 11.1% receive boxes or bags of food from the non-school cafeteria, adding to many households more than one benefit”it is detailed.
The survey also focuses on the educational situation, and in this aspect the data stands out that 23% of girls and boys between 3 and 5 years old do not attend formal educational establishments, 0.4% of who are between 6 and 12 years old do not go to primary school, 9.1% attend primary school at an older age and 35.3% of young people between 18 and 29 years old did not finish secondary school.
“These indicators express adverse values despite the fact that the general system of public management (80.7% of students under 18 years of age) is strengthened by the action of private management (12.6% in private secular and 6.8% in religious establishments)”it specifies.
By putting the magnifying glass on the labor market, the survey reveals that “32.5% of the employed are workers who reside in households in poverty, 30.9% of the employed work in the social economy and, when considering the economically active population, 26.5% have a job precarious and 24.3% unstable underemployment”.
As a counter to a context of increasing deterioration in Argentina in recent years, it is reported that infant mortality rates recorded improvements between 2005 and 2022, although the panorama is uneven and depends on which province the focus is on.
“The infant mortality rate, for those under 1 year of age and those under 5 years of age, presents a general improvement over time, 2005 to 2022, but greater heterogeneity between the situation of each of our provinces. In general, at Considering the data by province, it is observed that high levels of infant mortality tend to correlate with high levels of monetary indigence.”is analyzed in the ODSA report.
