Poverty data for Latin America

In its Report “Social Panorama of Latin America 2009”, the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) estimates that poverty in the region will increase by 1.1% and indigence by 0.8% with regard to 2008. Thus, people living in poverty will reach 189 million by the end of 2009 (34.1% of the population), compared to 180 million in 2008. Also, indigence will reach 76 million (13.7% of the population), up from the 71 million last year. The study provides evidence that poverty 1.7 times higher among children under 15 than in adults and 1.15 times greater among women than men. As the ECLAC Executive Secretary, Alicia Bárcena, warned in a press release that we shouldn´t lower the guard in terms of social protection for the most impoverished, even if we began to see signs of economic recovery.