Poverty and Inequality in Colombia

Overview

• Poverty rates in Colombia fell in 2022 after a significant increase due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
• Colombia’s poverty rate decrease reported by DANE, the national statistics agency.

Poverty Statistics

• Nearly 19 million Colombians lived on less than $97.94 (COP396,864) per month in 2022.
• About 13.8% of the population earned less than $49 (COP198,698) per month.

Undernourishment

• A critical issue, especially affecting women.
• The problem saw some improvement during President Juan Manuel Santos’ term but worsened under President Ivan Duque.
• The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization has not yet released 2020 and 2021 estimates.
• Increasing disparity between men and women regarding food security.

Related Issues

• Food Deficiency: Rising issue parallel to undernourishment.
• Deficient Housing: Disparity expected to increase since 2020.

Income Distribution

• Extreme income inequality rose in 2018 after a decade of decline.
• Top 10% of earners took nearly 40% of income, ten times more than the bottom 20%.

GINI Coefficient

• Increased consecutively, standing at 5.26 in 2019.

Urban vs. Rural Disparities

• Poverty is traditionally higher in rural areas.
• Significant growth during Duque’s administration.

Regional Poverty Distribution

• Choco: Poorest province with a poverty rate of 68.4% in 2019.
• Peripheral provinces like La Guajira and Cauca also face high poverty.
• Bogota and major provincial capitals have lower poverty rates.

City vs. Countryside

• Poverty rose in major cities in 2019, except Cartagena.
• Surge expected during the pandemic, more in cities than rural areas.

Infant Mortality

• High due to poverty and lack of healthcare access.
• Over 12 per thousand infant mortality rate.
• Worst-hit regions include the Pacific and Caribbean coasts, eastern plains, and Amazon jungle.

Conclusion

• Colombia faces significant challenges in poverty and inequality.
• Regional disparities and gender inequality in food security and income distribution are substantial concerns.
• Policies and interventions need to be targeted to address these inequalities effectively.