economy and politics

The figures that led to the slight drop in multidimensional poverty in the country

Poverty

This Friday, April 19, the data of multidimensional poverty in Colombia for last year, in which the panorama of the multidimensional and monetary poverty in the country and it was found that currently, of every 100 people living in the country, 12 are in this conditionmainly affecting basic services such as education and housing.

According to this report, the incidence of multidimensional poverty in the country, during the past year, was 12.1%; 0.8 percentage points less than in 2022 when it had remained at 12.9%. This, said in common figures, means that 6.27 million people were in poverty in 2023.

If we keep in mind that for 2022 the data spoke of 6.6 million Colombians with direct impact of multidimensional poverty, it can be said that last year 338,000 citizens left; most of them in the rural sector.

(Keep reading: More than 6.2 million Colombians are in poverty).

Now, another fact that draws attention has to do with the fact that in the country's capitals it was 8.3% (-0.4 percentage points) and in populated and dispersed rural centers it was 25.1% (-2.2 percentage points).

This makes it clear that, as has been seen for centuries in the country, multidimensional poverty is a scourge that is felt more in remote regions and the rural sector, that in the main cities and capitals, since for every citizen who is in this condition in the main territories, there are three in the rural sector.

Poverty

Time

In 2023, in the national total, 13.2% of people who belonged to a household headed by women were multidimensionally poor, decreasing 0.9 percentage points compared to 2022; while, 11.2% of people who belonged to households headed by men were multidimensionally poor in 2023, decreasing 0.8 percentage points compared to 2022.”Dane added.

To review the distribution of poverty by region, this statistical authority divided the country into seven zones (Caribbean, Eastern, Central, Pacific, Bogotá, Antioquia and Valle del Cauca) and reported that the Caribbean and Pacific regions, the first with 20.1% and the second with 19.4%. In third place is the Central region with 11.2%.

(More: The x-ray of child labor in Colombia: how many boys and girls are affected).

Meanwhile, “The lowest incidence of multidimensional poverty occurred in Bogotá with 3.6%, followed by Valle del Cauca with 7.2% and finally the Antioquia regions with 9.5% and Oriental with an incidence of 11.1%.”. With the exception of the East, in all regions there was a reduction in this indicator.

In the Caribbean region, in 2023, people who belonged to a household headed by women presented levels of multidimensional poverty of 21.5%, while in households headed by men the incidence of multidimensional poverty was 18.9%.“, they added.

Poverty in Colombia

Poverty in Colombia

Juan Carlos Escobar / EL TIEMPO

The Dane also reported that people who belonged to a household where the head of the household is recognized as black, mulatto, Afro-descendant or Afro-Colombian; They presented an incidence of multidimensional poverty of 21.8%.

Likewise, for people who belong to a household where the head of the household is recognized as indigenousmultidimensional poverty was 37.1%.

Another data analyzed in this report was the adjusted incidence of multidimensional poverty, with which the changes that occur in the deprivations of people in situations of multidimensional poverty are reviewed. This indicator is the result of multiplying the number of people in poverty by the proportion of deprivations faced by this group of people..

(Keep reading: 72.3% of the National Development Plan does not show progress: what is happening).

In 2023, the average proportion of deprivation faced by people in multidimensional poverty for the national total was 40.1%, decreasing by 0.2 percentage points compared to 2022. This, explained briefly, focuses on the number of people who, due to poverty, are deprived of one of the basic services.

Poverty in Colombia

Poverty in Colombia

Time

In the national total, the dimension that had the greatest contribution to multidimensional poverty was education (35.7%), followed by work dimensions (30.0%), childhood and youth(13.7%), housing conditions (12.7%) and health (8.0%). In the capitals, education represented the largest contribution with 33.9%, followed by work with 31.3%. The dimensions of childhood and youth, health and housing conditions also played an important role, representing 14.4%, 10.7% and 9.7% respectively.

Finally, in populated centers and dispersed rural areas, education also led with 37.6%, followed by work with 28.6%. lHousing conditions, childhood and youth, and health were also relevant, contributing 15.9%, 12.9% and 5.0% respectively..

Similar panorama in extreme monetary poverty

To have a similar panorama regarding poverty in the country, it is worth remembering that, according to the reports provided by Dane at the end of last year, The x-ray of monetary poverty shows that 36.6% of Colombians are currently in this condition in the country.

Meanwhile, the percentage of people in extreme monetary poverty, in the national total, was 13.8%. In populated and dispersed rural centers, monetary poverty showed a decrease of 2.6 percentage points, going from 48.5% in 2021 to 45.9% in this report. As in multidimensional poverty measurements, this indicator is much higher in the rural sector and remote areas than in capital cities or cities with greater national production.

DANIEL HERNÁNDEZ NARANJO
Portfolio Journalist

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