Argentina's poverty rate climbed to 32.3% in the first half of 2026, according to data from the national statistics agency Indec reported by La Nación. The figure marks a rise in the share of Argentines living below the poverty line during the period.
The impact falls hardest on children. Infobae reports that poverty among those under 14 years old reached 44.5% in the same semester. Chequeado reports that roughly half of Argentina's poor population lives in the Conurbano bonaerense, the sprawling metropolitan area around Buenos Aires, amounting to nearly 4.9 million people.
The data drew attention to the labor market as well. Leo Tornaroli, a researcher, told La Voz del Interior that wages have served as the adjustment factor in the labor market, pointing to falling real incomes as a driver of the trend.
The figures were released as part of Indec's regular semiannual poverty measurement, which tracks household income against the cost of a basic food and goods basket. Página|12 published a breakdown mapping poverty and indigencia — extreme poverty — across the country under President Javier Milei's administration.
The 32.3% rate reflects conditions during the first six months of the year, before any policy changes that may have taken effect since. Regional disparities remain significant, with the Buenos Aires metropolitan area accounting for the largest concentration of poor residents.
Observers will watch whether the second-half Indec measurement shows the rate continuing to rise or stabilizing, and whether wage trends cited by researchers reverse in the coming months.
