Monetary poverty affected 27.5% of the country's population in 2022

During the year 2022, the monetary poverty affected 27.5% of the country’s population increasing in 1.6 percentage points compared with the year 2021 (25.9%) and in 7.3 percentage points compared with the registered in the year 2019. This was informed by the National Institute of Statistics and Informatics (INEI), in the document Peru: Evolution of Monetary Poverty 2011-2022, prepared with the results of the National Household Survey (ENAHO). Also, was informed that the estimated number of poor population in the year 2022 is of 9 million 184 thousand persons, increasing in 628 thousand persons compared with the last year.

The research stablishes that the poverty line is the monetary equivalent to the cost of a basic food and non-food basket, that for the year 2022 amounts to S/ 415 monthly per inhabitant, it means, for a family of four members the mentioned amount totalized S/ 1 660 monthly.

On the other hand, the extreme poverty line for the year 2022 amounted S/ 226 monthly per person, considering in extreme poverty situation to the persons which monthly expend do not cover the basic food basket, for a family of four members which the amount ascends to S/ 904 monthly.

The measurement of monetary poverty in Peru is performed through the expense indicator, because this variable approximates to a quantification of the living standards since what consumes purchases and acquires persons and households. In the year 2022, the actual average expense per person was of S/ 825, increasing in 0.7%, compared with the level of expense of the year 2021 (S/ 820); nevertheless, it decreased in 10.0% compared to the year 2019 (S/ 917).

Also, informed that the income grew 1.4% between the years 2021 to 2022 (for going from S/ 1 074 to S/ 1 089); nevertheless, it reduced by 9.2% compared to the year 2019 (S/ 1 200).

In the year 2022 and according to geographic areas, the monetary poverty affected the 41.1% of the rural area population and the 24.1% of the urban area, registering increases of 1.4 and 1.8 percentage points, respectively. By comparing this results with those reported in the year 2019, in the urban area the incidence of poverty grew 9.5 percentage points and in the rural area in 0.3 percentage point.

Among the jurisdictions with poverty level higher than 40% were Cajamarca, Huanuco, Puno, Ayacucho and Pasco. Among 30% to 40% were Loreto, Huancavelica, Constitutional Province of Callao and Piura. Departments that have poverty levels among 20% and 30% are La Libertad, Amazonas, Lima Metropolitan area, San Martin, Tumbes, Apurimac, Tacna, Lima Provinces, Ucayali, Cusco, Junin and Ancash. Instead, the departments that reported a lower incidence of poverty in Ica, Moquegua, Madre de Dios, Arequipa and Lambayeque.

The National Household Survey (ENAHO) revealed that in the year 2022, the extreme poverty reached to the 5.0% of the population of the country and increased in 0.9 percentage point compared to the year 2021 while comparing to the year 2019 was higher in 2.1 percentage points.

By residence area, extreme poverty affected in greater measure in the rural zone (14.6%), than in urban zone (2.6%), registering incomes of 2.5 and 0.5 percentage points, compared to the year 2021. In addition, compared to the results obtained in the year 2019, showed a growth of this indicator from 4.8 to 1.6 percentage points, for the case of rural and urban area, respectively.

During the year 2022, from the total of the population the 32.3% is at risk of poverty condition, indicator that decreased in 2.3 percentage points, compared with the year 2001 (34.6%) and compared with the year 2019 (34.0%) decreased in 1.7 percentage points.

More women than men live in state of poverty. In the year2022, the 27.8% of the female population and the 27.2% of the male population of the country were affected by poverty.

Poverty affected in greater proportion to the population under 17 years old. The results of the National Household Survey revealed that the 36.7% of the population aged 0 to 17 years old are, followed by 24.3% from the population aged 18 to 59 years old and by 21.0% of the population aged 60 years old and older.

More than one third of the population in poverty situation studied till elementary education. The INEI informed that the 36.8% of the population in poverty condition studied till elementary education followed by the 28.3% that studied high-school education and the 11.2% that reached higher education (university and non-university).

The INEI informed that in the year 2022, 51.7% of the households in poverty situation have sewage service by public network inside household and in 30.3% in the case of households in extreme poverty. Regarding the overcrowding, the 9.2% of households in poverty condition comply with this condition in the case of extreme poverty, the 14.5%.

The access to mobile phone was greater in poor households (90.9%), that in households in extreme poverty (84.4%). Likewise, for the case of Internet connections, this access was greater in poor households (33.0%), than in extreme poverty households (14.3%). Likewise, the holding of computer/ /laptop is greater in poor households (14.3%) than those affected by extreme poverty (5.2%).

Regarding the employment, in poor households the 91.4% of their residents have an informal employment and 96.4% in extreme poverty households.

In the year 2022, the poverty rate by Unsatisfied Basic Needs (NBI) affected the 16.0% of the country’s population and presented a decrease of 0.1 percentage points, compared to the year 2021 (16.1%).

Information and Communication Technologies. In the year 2022, 40.1% of the population did not have with the Internet service and 2.6% of households do not have Internet, cellphone, TV cable or landline phone simultaneously.

Security and violence. 22.9% of the population aged 15 years old and older was victim of criminal offence and the 55.7% of the female population aged 15 to 49 years old was victim of violence against women.

Employment indicators and social security. The underemployment rate of the working population aged 14 years old, older was of 45.9%, and the 64.9% of the working population was not affiliated to a social security.

Access to the electric energy service and water by public network. 3.8% of the population did not have public lighting and the 26.7% used a polluted fuel for cooking. Likewise, 50.5% of the population did not have water service by public network, every day, 24 hours and 29.9% did not have the all-in-one package services that includes water, sewerage and electricity.

Food and health. During the year 2022, 36.2% of the population presented calorie deficit and 42.4% of the population aged 6 to 35 months had anemia. On the other hand, 31.2% of the population presented health problems and did not received medical attention; of the population have health problems and did not received medical attention while the 4.8% presented some disability.

Indicators of elementary education. The population aged 6 to 11 years old have a school absenteeism rate of 6.9% and in the 33.6% had school backwardness.

Characteristics of the household. In the year 2022, 6.0% of the population are living in crowded and the 22.3% of the population lived in houses with an earth floor.

In the measurement of poverty, the National Institute of Statistics and Informatics accompanied by an Advisory Commission, created through Supreme Resolution Nº 097-2010-PCM. The Commission includes among its functions: evaluate, supervise and validate the quality of the National Household Survey (ENAHO), referred to the methodology of poverty indicators measurement ensuring the comparability and proposal of modifications and/or new poverty measures.

The Advisory Commission is composed by representatives of Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF),

Ministry of Development and Social Inclusion (MIDIS), National Food and Nutrition Center (CENAN), Peruvian Central Reserve Bank (BCRP), Roundtable for the Fight against Poverty, Economic and Social Research Consortium (CIES), Group for the Analysis of Development (GRADE), Institute of Peruvian Studies (IEP), Pontifical Catholic University of Peru (PUCP) and Universidad del Pacífico (UP); International Organisms such as the World Bank (WB), Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), Research Institute for Development (IRD) of the French Government, United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA); as well as independent experts of well-known technical trajectory.

The INEI, within the framework of its dissemination policy and transparency of the statistical information that produces, makes available to citizens in general the following information: Press Release, Document “Peru: Evolution of Monetary Poverty 2011-2022, free access Database, Methodological Documents, Presentation of Monetary Poverty 2011-2022 and the Declaration of Advisory Committee on the Measure of Monetary Poverty, the public can access to this information by visiting the INEI’s website: