Report
Argentina’s poverty rises to 32 percent under Milei with more pain forecast
Al Jazeera EnglishFactual
Argentina's poverty rate rose to 32.3 percent in the first half of 2026 under President Javier Milei, up 4.1 percentage points from 28.2 percent in the previous half-year, with extreme poverty climbing to 7.5 percent and unemployment hitting 7.9 percent, its highest since 2021. The Catholic University of Argentina estimates poverty could reach 35 percent by year's end as wage gains lag behind a nearly 20 percent rise in basic living costs. The increase partially erases earlier gains from Milei's austerity-driven disinflation, which had brought poverty down from over 50 percent in early 2024.
