LATAM: At Least 209 Million Living in Poverty, ECLAC Reveals

The Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) reported that people living in poverty in the region reached 209 million at the end of 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic, at least 22 million more compared to 2019.

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According to ECLAC's latest report, 78 million people found themselves living in extreme poverty last year alone as the extreme poverty rate topped 12.5 percent. The organization points out that the index was not more significant thanks to governmental measures such as the transfer of emergency incomes to households.

"Governments in the region implemented 263 emergency social protection measures in 2020, reaching 49.4 percent of the population, which is approximately 84 million households or 326 million people. Without these measures, the incidence of extreme poverty would have surged to 15.8 percent and that of poverty, to 37.2 percent of the population," the report highlights.

Moreover, the ECLAC confirmed that the hardest-hit groups are residents in rural areas, children and adolescents, indigenous and Afro-descendant persons, and populations with low education levels.

"ECLAC’s call for a new social compact is more relevant than ever: the pandemic is a critical juncture that is redefining what is possible, and it opens a window of opportunity to leave the culture of privilege behind," ECLAC  Executive Secretary said.