Full picture:
The last report from the National Institute of Statistics and Census (Indec) dating back to the first semester of 2023 showed a 40.1% poverty rate. The UCA survey also detected that indigence went up from 9.6% in the third quarter of 2023 to 14.2% in December 2023 and to 15% in January 2024, and the poverty level rose from 44.7% in the third quarter of 2023 grew to 49.5% in December and 57.4% in January, the highest figure since series began in 2004 when it stood at 54%.
With no update to the overall minimum wage or unemployment benefits and meager adjustments among just a few trade unions, the country's economic activity has been on a downward patch under the Libertarian administration which, nevertheless, boasted it had achieved a zero deficit.
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According to the center’s latest report, the increase in poverty levels in January is partly due to the devaluation of the Argentine peso applied by the Milei government shortly after taking office on Dec. 10. This resulted in an increase in the price of the country's basic basket — which includes food, services and non-food goods — and the basic food basket.
So.. not that impressive, he managed to achieve a "surplus" (a logical impossibility considering the state of the country finances but hey, if we valuing performance on a day to day basis...)