Armenia's poverty rate reached 23.7% by end of 2023
YEREVAN, December 2. /ARKA/. The average poverty rate in Armenia stood at 23.7% at the end of 2023, a decrease of 1.1 percentage points compared to the previous year, according to a report by the National Statistical Committee.
At the same time, the extreme poverty rate for the previous year was 1.1%, decreasing by 0.1 percentage points compared to 2022.
According to the report, extreme/food poverty in 2023 was 1.1% (compared to 1.2% in 2022), the lower poverty threshold stood at 9.7% (down from 11.6% in 2022), and the upper poverty threshold was 42.6% (up from 24.8% in 2022).
The urban poverty rate in 2023 was 21.5% (down from 22.1% in 2022), with the extreme poverty rate at 0.5% (compared to 1% in 2022). The rural poverty rate for the reporting period was 27% (down from 29% in 2022), with the extreme poverty rate at 2% (up from 1.5% in 2022).
The report also includes an assessment of the depth of poverty, which stood at 4.4% (down from 4.7% in 2022). This measure indicates the poverty deficit, i.e., how much the average income (or consumption) of the poor falls below the poverty line.
The severity of poverty reflects the inequality of consumption among the poor, showing that some are far from the poverty line, while others are much closer. This indicator has remained unchanged since 2022, standing at 1.3% in 2023.
The report also includes data on child poverty (ages 0-18). Specifically, the extremely poor accounted for 1.8% (down from 1.9% in 2022), the poor for 31.7% (compared to 32.3% in 2022), and the non-poor for 68.3% (up from 67.7% in 2022).
The poverty level in Armenia has been assessed since 1996. Since 2019, this indicator has been calculated using the revised World Bank methodology: the documented poverty line in monetary terms represents the cost of both food and non-food goods and services, reflecting the minimum standard of living in the country.
The extreme/food poverty line in 2023 is 29,786 drams per month, the lower poverty line is 43,036 drams per month, the middle line is 53,590 drams per month, and the upper poverty line is 64,146 drams per month. ($1 = 394.64 drams).-0-
