The Milei government projected that 4 million people will migrate from the AMBA to the interior due to the energy boom

The Government of Javier Milei projects a profound transformation of the Argentine economic and demographic map over the next three decades, primarily driven by the growth of Vaca Muerta, mining, and exports. In this context, the Minister of Deregulation and State Transformation, Federico Sturzenegger, stated to the Financial Times that around 4 million people could leave the Metropolitan Area of Buenos Aires (AMBA) to settle in various regions of the interior of the country.

According to the official, approximately 2 million people could move to Patagonia, accompanying the expansion of oil and gas production, while another 2 million could head to the northern provinces, where new projects related mainly to copper, lithium, silver, and other minerals are advancing.

The estimate was included in an extensive report by the British newspaper on President Milei's economic program, titled “Milei’s great free trade experiment”, which analyzed the opening of the economy, the reduction of the state's weight, and the official push to significantly increase exports.

For the Government, the development of sectors in which Argentina has significant competitive advantages could change a historical trend characterized by the concentration of population, employment, and productive activity around Buenos Aires.

One of the main drivers of this process would be Vaca Muerta, where, according to the data cited by the outlet, the portfolio of new projects exceeds USD 100 billion. At the same time, the northern provinces concentrate a large part of the investments planned for mining exploitation.

Sturzenegger also stated that, based on the investments currently underway, Argentina could triple its exports over the next five or six years. The official strategy particularly targets the growth of energy, mining, and the agricultural sector as permanent sources of foreign exchange income.

This development, according to the Government's vision, would not be limited to extractive activities. It would also boost productive chains related to sectors such as petrochemicals, fertilizers, infrastructure, and services linked to new projects.

The Milei Government bets that macroeconomic stabilization, opening up, and the advancement of investments will allow for the consolidation of new productive poles outside the AMBA. If Sturzenegger's projection materializes, the growth of Vaca Muerta and mining would also transform the distribution of population, employment, and economic activity over the coming decades.