History: Child poverty fell to 41.3% and reached its lowest level since 2017

Child poverty in Argentina fell sharply in the second half of 2025 and reached 41.3%, according to INDEC data.

This is the lowest level since 2017 and consolidates a sustained downward trend over the past two years, in the context of the change of government and the reforms promoted by President Javier Milei.

The figure reflects a significant improvement compared to previous periods.

In the first half of 2025, child poverty stood at 45.4%, implying a drop of more than 4 percentage points in just six months, and despite the negative effects of the "Kuka risk”.

If you broaden the comparison, the decline is even more pronounced: in the second half of 2024 the indicator was 51.9%, while in the first half of that same year it had reached a peak of 66.1%, in the midst of the serious economic crisis inherited from Kirchnerism.

Evolution shows a clear break in the trend that had been registered in previous years. In 2023, child poverty stood at 58.4% in the second semester and 56.2% in the first semester, levels much higher than the

current ones.

Even in the period 2020-2022, values persistently remained above 50%, reflecting a scenario of high social vulnerability.

With the 41.3% figure corresponding to the end of 2025, the indicator not only pierces the floor of recent years, but also returns to levels that had not been observed since 2017, when it was around 39.7%.

The reduction of poverty and indigence

This improvement in child poverty occurs in parallel with a broader process of reducing general poverty. According to INDEC, in the second half of 2025, 28.2% of people were below the poverty line, with 6.3% living in a situation of destitution, the lowest level since 2018

.

These data also show a sustained downward trend.

In the first half of 2025, poverty reached 31.6% of the population, while in the second half of 2024 it was 38.1% and in the first half of that year it rose to 52.9%.

The comparison with 2023 levels reinforces the magnitude of the change. At that time, total poverty had reached 57%, marking one of the highest records in recent decades

.

In this context, the reduction of child poverty is one of the most important aspects of general improvement, as it is a sector that is historically more exposed to economic crises. The trend recorded during 2024 and 2025 shows a consistent reduction, in line with the stabilization of macroeconomic variables

.

Official data thus consolidate a scenario of progressive improvement in social indicators, with a significant drop in both general and child poverty, which reaches its lowest level in almost a decade, thanks to the work of the Milei Government.