The Chilean government predicted an increase in poverty due to the growing increase in the inflation rate, the radio station Pauta informed today.
A significant increase in the number of needy people is imminent due to the cost of living throughout this year, as measured by the Casen survey, the Minister of Social Development, Jeannette Vega said.
Food prices are soaring and this is the main indicator for calculating the increase in the number of poor people, because fewer families can afford to pay for the basic food, she said.
Income poverty rose from 8.6 percent in 2017 to 10.8 percent today, equivalent to 528,134 people added to that category, for a total of 2,112,000, the source detailed.
The misery indicator among the population rose for the first time in 20 years due to the economic crisis,it was aggravated by the Covid-19 pandemic, while extreme poverty rose from 2.3 percent to 4.3 percent.
Minister Vega’s forecast regarding the results of the Casen survey, according to Radio Pauta, coincides with that of several economists, including the director of the Center for Surveys and Longitudinal Studies of the University of Chile, David Bravo.
Prensa Latina
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