Honduras was the country in Latin America with the highest share of population living on less than 3.20 U.S. dollars per day. The Central American nation had 26.4 percent of its population living on less than 3.20 U.S. dollars a day, while Colombia came second highest with 14 percent. On the other hand, Uruguay had only 0.8 percent of poverty headcount ratio, featured as the lowest share in the region.

In 2023, all selected Latin American countries registered a higher poverty rate for women than for men. Colombia ranked among the highest poverty rates both for males and females only behind Honduras.

The average for 2020 based on 10 countries was 30.53 percent. The highest value was in Mexico: 43.9 percent and the lowest value was in Chile: 10.8 percent. The indicator is available from 2000 to 2023. Below is a chart for all countries where data are available.

Among Latin American countries in 2023, Colombia had the highest share of both Afro-descendants and indigenous people living impoverished, with 45.6 percent and 63.5 percent, respectively. Additionally, Colombia also had the highest share of indigenous people living under extreme poverty that year. Ecuador had the second-highest share of indigenous population whose average per capita income was below the poverty line, with 50.4 percent. Uruguay was the only nation where Afro-descendants were the ethnic group with the largest share of the poor population, as in the other selected countries such group was indigenous people.

As of 2023, the region's average share of the indigenous population living under the poverty line was 42.3 percent. The most recent data for Colombia positions the country with 63.5 percent of the population, the highest in Latin America.

This web site includes statistics on poverty and other distributional and social variables from 25 Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) countries. All statistics are computed from microdata of the main household surveys carried out in these countries using a homogenous methodology (data permitting). SEDLAC allows users to monitor the trends in poverty and other distributional and social indicators in the region. The database is available in the form of brief reports, charts and electronic Excel tables with information for each country/year. In addition, the website visitor can carry out dynamic searches online.

Poverty in five Latin American countries.

Historical dataset showing Latin America & Caribbean poverty rate by year from 1981 to 2023.

The population of Latin America and the Caribbean increased from 175 million in 1950 to 515 million in 2000. Where did this growth occur? What is the magnitude of change in different places? How can we visualize the geographic dimensions of population change in Latin America and the Caribbean? We compiled census and other public domain information to analyze both temporal and geographic changes in population in the region. Our database includes population totals for over 18,300 administrative districts within Latin America and the Caribbean. Tabular census data was linked to an administrative division map of the region and handled in a geographic information system. We transformed vector population maps to raster surfaces to make the digital maps comparable with other commonly available geographic information. Validation and error-checking analyses were carried out to compare the database with other sources of population information. The digital population maps created in this project have been put in the public domain and can be downloaded from our website. The Latin America and Caribbean map is part of a larger multi-institutional effort to map population in developing countries. This is the third version of the Latin American and Caribbean population database and it contains new data from the 2000 round of censuses and new and improved accessibility surfaces for creating the raster maps.

Abstract Since the 1990s various Latin American countries have adopted public polices to reduce poverty and social exclusion, highlighted by the income transfer programs that compose the central core of government actions in various countries. The objective of this study is to conduct a comparative analysis of the evolution of poverty in Brazil and Argentina in the early 21st century, as well as the public policies of the time. The analysis focused on secondary data about the two themes found in both countries. It concludes that these programs contribute decisively to reducing the levels of poverty in the two countries, yet emphasizes that the eradication of poverty requires greater articulation between the various social policies and emphasizes the need for the construction and consolidation of a broad social protection system.

The average for 2021 based on 12 countries was 2.5 percent. The highest value was in Colombia: 7.3 percent and the lowest value was in Uruguay: 0.1 percent. The indicator is available from 1963 to 2023. Below is a chart for all countries where data are available.

Abstract The study analyzes the development of responses to address the COVID-19 pandemic in Latin America. It is a descriptive study based on an analysis of documents, data, and policy measures adopted or announced between March and December 2020 in 14 Latin American countries. The analysis included assessment of the content, tenor, and scope of policy measures for containment and mitigation, health care, and reorganization of health services identified on government websites. In addition, quantitative demographic indicators were included, as well as those related to the epidemiological situation and the result of the Stringency index. In general, the responses of Latin American countries were heterogeneous, albeit multisectoral, characterizing the complexity and diversity of decision making when confronting a pandemic. The conclusion drawn is that there is still a great deal to reflect upon with respect to the consequences of regulatory weaknesses for the achievement of multidimensional demands during health crises.

• Attention and interest on international issues related to different countries.
• Most important objectives for Spain in international politics.
• Image of the Ibero-American countries in Spain and for the interviewee.
• Spain's relations with Latin America in economic, political, cultural, scientific/technical and sporting aspects.
• Most important objectives for Spain in international policy with Latin America.
• Similarities, common interests and union in the future between Spain and Latin American or European countries.
• Knowledge of the annual celebration of the Ibero-American Summit.
• Importance of the Ibero-American Summit for the countries of Latin America and for Spain.
• Agreement with various statements on the Ibero-American Summits: They strengthen political and economic ties, poor practical results, boost cooperation, and recent summits have lost relevance.
• Main problems that currently exist in the world. Opinion on the cooperation of Spain to the development of other peoples and the role of the State in international aid and cooperation.
• Countries to which Spanish development cooperation is directed and to which it should be directed.
• Evaluation of the resources that Spain dedicates to international cooperation for development and knowledge of the reduction of funds in recent years due to the crisis. Knowledge of the objective of industrialized countries to devote 0.7% of their GDP to help less developed countries. Opinion on whether Spain should dedicate 0.7% of its GDP. Knowledge of the percentage of Spanish GDP that is dedicated to helping less developed countries.
• Important aspects in development cooperation: human rights, health, indigenous peoples, poverty,... Knowledge of the United Nations Millennium Goals. Likelihood of achieving the various Goals. Knowledge of the resources that your Autonomous Community or City Council dedicates to cooperation with developing countries. Opinion on whether they should devote part of their resources.
• Agreement on the form of financing of NGOs.
• Most important task to be performed by NGDOs. Composition of NGOs to make their work effective.
• Participation in the interviewee's development cooperation.
• Box marked for allocation in the Income Statement.
• Influence on relations between Spain and Latin America of Latin American immigrants.
• Main cause of the immigration that Spain receives. Changes in the image of Latin America due to the presence of Latin American immigrants and the degree of agreement with a series of opinions about them.
• Beneficiary of the work done by immigrants from less developed countries.
• Agreement that there would be fewer immigrants if cooperation between countries were greater.
• Effect of the economic situation on immigrant and Spanish workers.
• Opinions on Spanish immigration policy and changes that should be introduced.
• Knowledge of Spanish companies with interests in Latin America. Investment.
• Effect of the performance of Spanish companies investing in Latin America has on the image of Spain.
• Equal performance of Spanish companies in Spain and Latin America.
• The Spanish Government should encourage greater involvement of Spanish companies abroad.
• Opinion on the action of Spanish companies in Latin America Larina in environmental and social matters
• Effect of the performance of Spanish companies investing in Latin America has on relations between Spain and these countries.
• Opinion on who benefits from the presence of Spanish companies in Latin America.
• Ideological self-location scale (1-10).
• Electoral participation in the 2008 general elections.
• Religious practice.

Abstract: Recent literature proposes that poverty could lead women to remain childless, thus attenuating or reverting higher fertility typically observed among women of lower schooling level. We explore the role of health in this approach: does health have a distinctive detrimental effect on fertility among women of lower schooling levels? To that end, we compute the gap in the definite childlessness rate by self-reported disability status across schooling levels. Due to the scarcity of survey data from definite childless women, in addition to the small sample sizes, we use census samples. Focusing on women between 40-50 years old and using 23 census samples from Latin America countries (2000-2011), we found that only in the group with lower schooling level there is a clear gap in the definite childlessness rate by self-reported disability status. From our descriptive analysis we conclude that health could indeed play an influential role in the childless by poverty approach.

The Population and Housing Censuses database contains the censuses harmonized in such a way as to provide comparable census information over time and across countries. The variables in these databases are constructed under a common approach and structure, with standardized names, definitions, and disaggregations, and stored in a single file for each country. Currently, the harmonization of Population and Housing Censuses includes databases for 22 countries. The indicators are categorized into seven themes: demographics, education, labor market, housing, income, migration, and diversity. When possible, we add multiple disaggregations for indicators. The available disaggregations are ethnicity, gender, age, education level, and area of geographic residence. The management and harmonization of this database are provided by the Social Sector (SCL) of the Vice Presidency of Knowledge and Sectors to strengthen the analytical content of projects and studies.

Extreme poverty and poverty rate according to national measurements and definitions.

Calculation Methodology

Each country reports the rate of extreme poverty and official national poverty. For detail of methodologies and definitions, see the source used for each country.

Overall, both the number of people living in poverty and the number of people living in extreme poverty in Latin America increased between 2015 and 2022, reaching 202 million and 81 million people, respectively. Since then, the number of people living in poverty has declined. In 2024, an estimated 170 million people were projected to be living in poverty in the region. . Moreover, indigenous peoples in Latin America continue to experience extremely high poverty rates.

The Poverty Mapping Project: Unsatisfied Basic Needs data set consists of measures of household level wellbeing and access to basic needs (such as adequate housing conditions, water, electricity, sanitation, education, and employment) for subnational administrative Units of numerous countries in Latin America: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, and Peru. The data products include shapefiles (vector data) and tabular data sets (csv format). Additionally, a data catalog (xls format) containing detailed information and documentation is provided. This data set is produced by the Columbia University Center for International Earth Science Information Network (CIESIN), Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), and Centro Internacional de Agricultura Tropical (CIAT).

Abstract

After years of poor economic performance, many Latin American countries undertook ambitious programs of macroeconomic stabilization and structural reform during recent years. The change in policy created high expectations for the region. Some observers question, however, whether actual growth outcomes in several Latin American countries have measured up to such expectations. This paper offers some evidence that the response of economic growth to reforms in Latin America has not been disappointing. Because of the significant changes in policies achieved in Latin America by the 1990s and in spite of the global slowdown, Latin America did well to return to its historic rate of growth of 2 percent per capita in 1990-93. Latin America growth has responded to changes in policy variables as would have been predicted by the experience of other times and places, as summarized by a panel regression spanning all countries and multi-year periods from 1960 to 1993. In order to obtain consistent estimates of the parameters linking policy variables and growth, this paper uses a dynamic panel methodology that both controls for unobserved time- and country-specific effects and accounts for the likely joint endogeneity of the explanatory variables.

This is the data used in the paper "Has Latin America's Post-Reform Growth Been Disappointing?" by William Easterly, Norman Loayza, and Peter Montiel (Journal of International Economics, 1997).

Kind of data

Aggregate data [agg]

Mode of data collection

Other [oth]

This project developed data, information and knowledge on the spatial distribution of poverty in eight developing countries. The eight case studies included poverty and food security maps, the data sets, preprints of journal articles for a special issue of Food Policy, standardized geospatial metadata and a browse graphic showing key maps. The different case studies use cutting-edge poverty mapping techniques such as small area estimation. The countries included in the project were Bangladesh, Ecuador, Kenya, Malawi, Mexico, Nigeria, Sri Lanka and Vietnam. The data set also includes data for Honduras. The case studies were published here: https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/food-policy/vol/30/issue/5