Poverty rose to 32% during the first half of 2026, according to official data published Thursday by the INDEC statistics bureau based on a survey of Argentina’s main urban centers. 

The percentage equals nearly 10 million people. Extrapolated to the entire country, nearly 15.5 million people are poor. 

Poverty has jumped compared to the end of 2025, when the index stood at 24.4% (the increase in number of poor people exceeds 2 million). Current poverty is also higher than the first half of 2025 (31%).

Around 7.5% of the population are destitute (2.2 million people in the main cities and 3.6 million nationwide).

Economy Minister Luis Caputo said that, “although poverty and indigence rates increased” compared to the previous semester, “both rates recorded a sharp drop” compared to the first half of 2024.

LAS TASAS DE POBREZA Y DE INDIGENCIA SE UBICARON EN 32,3% Y 7,5% EN EL PRIMER SEMESTRE✅ Si bien las tasas de pobreza y de indigencia se incrementaron 4,1 p.p. y 1,2 p.p. en relación al semestre........

© Buenos Aires Herald