Thanks to Milei, UNICEF confirms a sharp decrease in child poverty in Argentina

UNICEF Argentina reported that poverty in households with children and adolescents showed a considerable reduction, thanks to the successful economic plan of the Government of Javier Milei, which managed to significantly reduce inflation.

In this context, the percentage of families whose income doesn't cover basic expenses dropped from 48% to 31% in the past year. The data come from the 9th Rapid Survey, which assesses the economic and social conditions of childhood and adolescence in the country.

The study highlights that the recovery was more noticeable among the most vulnerable sectors, where the improvement in income made it easier to cover essential expenses related to child-rearing, such as school supplies, clothing, or recreational activities.

There were also advances in access to basic services: the number of households unable to visit a doctor or dentist due to lack of money decreased by eight percentage points, and the number of families that must limit their meals for economic reasons dropped from 52% to 30%.

Rafael Ramírez Mesec, UNICEF's representative in Argentina, emphasized the importance of closely monitoring these processes: “The Rapid Survey of households with children and adolescents, which UNICEF has conducted since 2020, is a key tool for understanding the evolution of living conditions for children and adolescents in the country. The results of this new wave reveal fragile progress stemming from the reduction in poverty.”

In this scenario, child poverty stands at 46.1%, a figure that, while high, represents a decrease of 21 points compared to the first half of 2024. Extreme poverty, meanwhile, affects 10.2% after a drop of 17 points, according to EPH-INDEC data.

When analyzing the factors behind these results, Sebastián Waisgrais, UNICEF's specialist in Social Inclusion and Monitoring, explained: “This data reflect the impact of the slowdown in inflation along with the prioritization of income protection policies for lower-income households, through the Universal Child Allowance and the Food Benefit. The challenge, within a framework of fiscal consolidation, lies in sustaining these efforts.”

More than two million children have escaped poverty

In an interview with Infobae, Sebastián Waisgrais highlighted the improvement in social indicators and explained: “In 2024, the number of children living in poverty reached nearly eight million, but today we are at five and a half million. Even compared to 2023, there is also a significant improvement,” he stated.

Waisgrais also emphasized the progress in access to basic goods: “In 2023, 50% of households did not have enough income to buy school books; today that percentage has dropped to 28%,” he specified.

He also noted that there is greater economic capacity to meet essential needs. “In 2023, 40% of households had to stop buying some food due to lack of money; that percentage increased to 42% in 2024, but in the latest measurement it dropped to 29%,” the specialist concluded.