Argentina’s poverty rises to 32 percent under Milei with more pain forecast
Argentina's poverty rate rose to 32.3 percent in the first half of 2026, reversing previous gains made under President Javier Milei's economic reforms. Unemployment has also reached its highest level since 2021, with forecasts suggesting further increases in poverty by year-end.
Why it matters
The data challenges the success of Milei's austerity-driven economic overhaul and highlights the social cost of current fiscal policies.
Estimates by the UCA suggest the poverty rate could reach 35 percent this year, reversing a sharp decline in 2025.
x whatsapp-stroke copylink google Add Al Jazeera on Google info People sit inside a chapel while waiting for a meal distribution in the Villa 31 neighbourhood of Buenos Aires, Argentina, on August 28, 2026 [Agustin Marcarian/Reuters] By Al Jazeera Staff , AFP , AP and Reuters Published On 25 Sep 2026 25 Sep 2026 Argentina’s poverty rate has risen, hitting 32.3 percent in the first half of 2026 under President Javier Milei, partly erasing the country’s earlier gains.
According to figures released by the national statistics agency INDEC on Thursday, the poverty rate rose 4.1 percentage points between January and June compared with the last half of 2025, moving from 28.2 to 32.3 percent.
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