Over 42 percent of Argentine households located in large metropolitan areas were found to live under the poverty line in the first half of 2024, 12.9 percentage points more in comparison to the same period a year earlier. When compared to the first semester of 2018, the share of urban households living under the poverty line in the South American country rose over 20 percentage points. According to the latest data available, 2.54 percent of the Argentinian population is living on less than 3.65 U.S. dollars per day.

Argentina Poverty Line: Total Basic Basket data was reported at 356,073.460 USD in Mar 2025. This records an increase from the previous number of 342,370.040 USD for Feb 2025. Argentina Poverty Line: Total Basic Basket data is updated monthly, averaging 15,716.435 USD from Apr 2016 (Median) to Mar 2025, with 108 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 356,073.460 USD in Mar 2025 and a record low of 3,663.660 USD in Apr 2016. Argentina Poverty Line: Total Basic Basket data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by National Institute of Statistics and Censuses. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Argentina – Table AR.G013: Indigence and Poverty Lines: National Statistics & Census Institute.

In 2002, almost 24 percent of the urban population in Argentina were living on less than 3.65 dollars per day, the highest figure at least since 1980. The figure decreased significantly in recent years to less than 2.6 percent of the population in 2022. In nominal terms, excluding the impact of inflation, household income per capita in Argentina has increased since 2015.

Historical dataset showing Argentina poverty rate by year from 1980 to 2023.

Actual value and historical data chart for Argentina Poverty Headcount Ratio At National Poverty Line Percent Of Population

Argentina Poverty: Under Poverty Line: Percentage of Households: Urban: Gran Buenos Aires data was reported at 28.000 % in Dec 2024. This records a decrease from the previous number of 42.900 % for Jun 2024. Argentina Poverty: Under Poverty Line: Percentage of Households: Urban: Gran Buenos Aires data is updated semiannually, averaging 28.000 % from Dec 2016 (Median) to Dec 2024, with 17 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 42.900 % in Jun 2024 and a record low of 17.400 % in Dec 2017. Argentina Poverty: Under Poverty Line: Percentage of Households: Urban: Gran Buenos Aires data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by National Institute of Statistics and Censuses. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Argentina – Table AR.G017: Below Poverty Line.

During the second quarter of 2023, approximately three out of ten people living in urban areas in Argentina were below the poverty line. And more than one out of ten individuals were considered to live below the indigence line. Even though poverty and indigence rates were lower among households, it was estimated that over 23 percent of urban households in Argentina were below the poverty line.

Yearly (annual) dataset of the Argentina Poverty Rate, including historical data, latest releases, and long-term trends from 1980-12-31 to 2023-12-31. Available for free download in CSV format.

Argentina Poverty: Under Poverty Line: Percentage of Population: Urban: Gran Buenos Aires data was reported at 37.300 % in Dec 2024. This records a decrease from the previous number of 52.800 % for Jun 2024. Argentina Poverty: Under Poverty Line: Percentage of Population: Urban: Gran Buenos Aires data is updated semiannually, averaging 37.300 % from Dec 2016 (Median) to Dec 2024, with 17 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 52.800 % in Jun 2024 and a record low of 25.500 % in Dec 2017. Argentina Poverty: Under Poverty Line: Percentage of Population: Urban: Gran Buenos Aires data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by National Institute of Statistics and Censuses. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Argentina – Table AR.G017: Below Poverty Line.

Regardless of the employment status, the percentage of the population in Argentina whose average per capita income was below the poverty line experienced a downward trend between 2002 and 2017. In the case of the unemployed population, the share fell from 75.2 to 33.3 percent. However, the share of people living under the poverty line grew from 2017 and 2020 across all groups. In 2023, 30.8 percent of the economically inactive population was living in poverty. That year, 18 percent of employees in Argentina, the group with the lowest share throughout the whole analyzed period, was living under the poverty line.

Argentina Poverty Headcount Ratio at Societal Poverty Lines: % of Population data was reported at 22.800 % in 2022. This records a decrease from the previous number of 23.800 % for 2021. Argentina Poverty Headcount Ratio at Societal Poverty Lines: % of Population data is updated yearly, averaging 25.250 % from Dec 1980 (Median) to 2022, with 34 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 34.300 % in 2002 and a record low of 21.400 % in 1986. Argentina Poverty Headcount Ratio at Societal Poverty Lines: % of Population data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Argentina – Table AR.World Bank.WDI: Social: Poverty and Inequality. The poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line is the percentage of a population living in poverty according to the World Bank's Societal Poverty Line. The Societal Poverty Line is expressed in purchasing power adjusted 2017 U.S. dollars and defined as max($2.15, $1.15 + 0.5*Median). This means that when the national median is sufficiently low, the Societal Poverty line is equivalent to the extreme poverty line, $2.15. For countries with a sufficiently high national median, the Societal Poverty Line grows as countries’ median income grows.;World Bank, Poverty and Inequality Platform. Data are based on primary household survey data obtained from government statistical agencies and World Bank country departments. Data for high-income economies are mostly from the Luxembourg Income Study database. For more information and methodology, please see http://pip.worldbank.org.;;The World Bank’s internationally comparable poverty monitoring database now draws on income or detailed consumption data from more than 2000 household surveys across 169 countries. See the Poverty and Inequality Platform (PIP) for details (www.pip.worldbank.org).

14,4 (%) in 2019. Poverty headcount ratio at $5.50 a day is the percentage of the population living on less than $5.50 a day at 2011 international prices. As a result of revisions in PPP exchange rates, poverty rates for individual countries cannot be compared with poverty rates reported in earlier editions.

4.9 (%) in 2019. Poverty headcount ratio at $3.20 a day is the percentage of the population living on less than $3.20 a day at 2011 international prices. As a result of revisions in PPP exchange rates, poverty rates for individual countries cannot be compared with poverty rates reported in earlier editions.

In November 2024, the main problem for the country detected by the population in Argentina was poverty with an overall 38 percent answering it as one of the main problems, followed by low wages, crime, and job shortage. During this survey, other issues like climate change dropped to the bottom of the list, with less than one percent of people mentioning them as problem. Inflation in Argentina For the first month of 2023, one of the categories with the highest consumer price index (CPI) was clothing and footwear recording an inflation rate of 120.6. Some basic basket products also recorded high year-on-year price increases, like the food and non-alcoholic drinks sector recorded between 50 and 70 index points increases from January to June 2022. Overall, the price increase has been exponential when considering previous years, for example, the health services industry recorded an increase of 1,231.5 points in approximately six years. Crime in Argentina Other most common worries for the Argentinian population were crime and violence. In 2020, the country registered around 2,416 cases of intentional murders and, in 2022, approximately 212 femicides. Nonetheless, Argentina ranks as one of the Latin American countries with the lowest homicide rate, only with more than its western neighbor, Chile. Property crimes are actually the main concern for the country, only in 2021 more than a quarter of a million thefts were registered.

Poverty gap at $5.5 a day of Argentina soared by 17.07% from 4.1 % in 2018 to 4.8 % in 2019. Since the 13.51% drop in 2017, poverty gap at $5.5 a day rocketed by 50.00% in 2019. Poverty gap at $5.50 a day (2011 PPP) is the mean shortfall in income or consumption from the poverty line $5.50 a day (counting the nonpoor as having zero shortfall), expressed as a percentage of the poverty line. This measure reflects the depth of poverty as well as its incidence.

Context

With almost 40 million inhabitants and a diverse geography that encompasses the Andes mountains, glacial lakes, and the Pampas grasslands, Argentina is the second largest country (by area) and has one of the largest economies in South America. It is politically organized as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires.

Content

We will analyze ten economic and social indicators collected for each province. Because these indicators are highly correlated, we will use principal component analysis (PCA) to reduce redundancies and highlight patterns that are not apparent in the raw data. After visualizing the patterns, we will use k-means clustering to partition the provinces into groups with similar development levels.

These results can be used to plan public policy by helping allocate resources to develop infrastructure, education, and welfare programs.

Acknowledgements

DataCamp

3.10 (%) in 2023. Population below $3.1 a day is the percentage of the population living on less than $3.1 a day at 2005 international prices. As a result of revisions in PPP exchange rates, poverty rates for individual countries cannot be compared with poverty rates reported in earlier editions.

Argentina Poverty: Under Poverty Line: Percentage of Population: Urban data was reported at 38.100 % in Dec 2024. This records a decrease from the previous number of 52.900 % for Jun 2024. Argentina Poverty: Under Poverty Line: Percentage of Population: Urban data is updated semiannually, averaging 37.300 % from Dec 2016 (Median) to Dec 2024, with 17 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 52.900 % in Jun 2024 and a record low of 25.700 % in Dec 2017. Argentina Poverty: Under Poverty Line: Percentage of Population: Urban data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by National Institute of Statistics and Censuses. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Argentina – Table AR.G017: Below Poverty Line.

Both the value of the basic food basket and the basic consumer basket in Argentina have been increasing since January 2018, experiencing a particularly steep growth from the beginning of 2022 onwards. The value of the basic food basket, which establishes the extreme poverty line, stood at 146,726 Argentine pesos in January 2025.

From 2008 onwards, the share of employees in Argentina whose average per capita income was below the extreme poverty line has stayed below the landmark of two percent, making it the group with the lowest percentage of people living under such line. By contrast, since 2001, the share of unemployed people living in extreme poverty reached its lowest value in 2017 at 8.8 percent. By 2022, it had increased to 13.3 percent.