Thursday, December 01, 2011
Poverty levels drop in Latin America
Once thought of as a region rife with poverty and inequality, Latin America has seen both levels drop dramatically over the last two decades. The United Nations regional economic body Eclac found that the poverty rate fell from 48.4 percent in 1990 to 31.4 percent in 2010, BBC News reports.
Although there was a considerable decline, there is still work to be done. About 177 million people are currently living in poverty throughout the region - Mexico and Honduras both saw these levels rise. Still, the findings are encouraging, said Eclac's executive secretary Alicia Barcena.
"Poverty and inequality continue to decline in the region, which is good news, particularly in the midst of an international economic crisis," she told the BBC.
The report credited the fact that many households throughout Latin America have seen an increase in income levels for the decline in poverty. Peru, Argentina and Ecuador saw the biggest drop.
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