The report on the Social Panorama in the region also shows a decrease in extreme poverty of up to 10.6 percentage points.

Despite the progress, 172 million people in the area still do not have sufficient income to cover basic needs and, of them, 66 million cannot purchase a basic food basket.

The scourge affects women of working age more than men and is higher in rural areas than in urban areas (39.1 versus 24.6 percent).

Regarding age groups, the most affected are children and adolescents, the document states.

The Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) warned about the high inequality in the region, where 10 percent of people with the highest incomes concentrate 66 percent of the total wealth.

The report also warns about the persistence of high levels of social vulnerability in Latin America, where in 2022 one in four households lacked access to programs of this type.

ECLAC considers that monetary or in-kind transfer policies, such as school meals and labor inclusion programs, are key to linking people with social services and advancing the eradication of poverty and the reduction of inequality.

“Facing the development crisis in the region requires moving towards universal, comprehensive, sustainable and resilient protection systems,” said ECLAC Executive Secretary José Manuel Salazar-Xirinachs.

In the opinion of the United Nations agency, in order to advance in the eradication of poverty, it is necessary to establish an investment standard for non-contributory social protection of between 1.5 and 2.5 percent of the Gross Domestic Product or between 5 and 10 percent of total public spending.

ef/ro/car