Overview
- INDEC reported on Thursday that poverty climbed to 32.3% and indigence to 7.5% in the first half of 2026, a shift that raises the number of people in poverty to about 15.4 million.
- Household incomes grew about 11.5% while the basic food basket rose roughly 21.4% and the total basic basket about 19.6%, widening the gap that defines poverty.
- The monthly economic activity index (EMAE) showed a sharp drop of 2.9% in July after a seven‑month accumulated gain of 1.7%, a fall the economy minister blamed on transitory shocks such as gas shortages, heavy weather and fewer hours worked during the World Cup.
- Retail showed divergent patterns in July with supermarket and wholesale sales down and shopping‑center sales up, and official data point to a yearlong weakness in registered private employment that cuts at household earning power.
- The government says disinflation and continued income support could push social indicators back down by year‑end, while private think tanks and university nowcasts warned the labor and income shortfalls could keep poverty elevated near the 30–32% range.