At least 7 million Argentines, or 18.8 percent of the population, currently find themselves under the poverty line, with 1.7 million (4.2%) classed as in extreme poverty or indigence, according to a new report from the Argentine Workers’ Central (CTA) union headed by government ally Hugo Yasky.
The statistics almost cuadruple the last figures given by the National Statistics and Census Institute (INDEC) in October 2013, where according to the official agency poverty affected just 4.7 percent of the population.
Yasky recognised the difference between the CTA figures and the government’s, while point out that these findings were still «far below» estimates made by private institutes.
The union chief stated that 7 million Argentines lived in poverty, some 10 million fewer than in 2003, taking as a reference a report put together using data from the Argentine Centre for Research and Training (CIFRA).
«The methodology used by CIFRA is the same as that used before INDEC’s intervention, so we can avoid any suspicion, and it is also important to emphasise that [the study] was carried out based on data measured in nine provinces,» Yasky explained.
«The poverty index gave a result of 18.8 percent, much different from those published by newspapers Clarín and La Nación based on private consultants.»
The CIFRA rate was calculated by reconfiguring the value of the so-called Basic Basket, a selection of key household items. While in INDEC records the Basket is valued at 1,783 pesos for a family, the Centre estimates its costs at just over 4000 pesos.
The Basic Food Basket, meanwhile, used to measure extreme poverty, is estimated to cost 1,783 pesos by CIFRA, against the INDEC’s $787.
For the CTA head, «these figures show that although there are some problems in Argentina, this is not the catastrophe that those who push to raise prices devaluing workers’ salaries want to make us believe it is.»
Source: Buenos Aires Herald