One-Third of Latin America's Population at Risk of Falling Into Poverty Michael Oleaga - Latin Post
go to original August 31, 2014

Despite being home to one of the world's richest men, Mexico has one of the highest rates of poverty and malnutrition in the world. Al Jazeera's Rachel Levin reports from Oaxaca state. (Al Jazeera)

Latin American and the Caribbean have made strides in reducing poverty, but the United Nations Development Programme revealed many of the region's people are unable to enter the middle class.

According to UNDP, 595 million people live across Latin America and the Caribbean. UNDP stated poverty in the region was cut by nearly half during the last decade. The group at risk of falling into poverty represents 38 percent of the entire region's population, 200 million people, who earn between $4 and $10 per day.

Of the 200 million, approximately half, or 98.5 million, people are working.

The UNDP also found 25 percent of the Latin American and Caribbean region lives on $4 or less a day. The middle class earns between $10 and $50 per day and makes up 34 percent of the population.

UNDP revealed their findings in a report titled "Sustaining Human Progress: Reducing Vulnerabilities and Building Resilience" during a regional presentation with El Salvador President Salvador Sánchez Céren.

"Clearly, if countries in the region don't reduce their vulnerability and boost their capacity to recover from financial crises and natural disasters, we will not be able to guarantee - and much less improve - regional progress in social, economic and environmental areas," said United Nations Assistant-Secretary General and UNDP Director for Latin America and the Caribbean Jessica Faieta.

UNDP reported the middle class grew by 82 million people since 2000, a 21 percent increase.

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