Children Are Poorest Group in Mexico, Elderly Lag Not Far Behind Lizbeth Padilla Fajardo and Mauricio Torres - CNN Mexico
go to original July 30, 2013

In the past two years, 500,000 Mexicans fell into poverty, reaching a total of 53.3 million in 2012, the National Evaluation of Social Development Policy (CONEVAL) reported on Monday.

The population of young people under 18 have the highest percentage of poor: 53.8% or 21.2 million are in this condition. Of these, 16.4 million are in moderate poverty and 4.7 million in extreme poverty.

"The challenge facing the country is to have public policies aimed at young people and children, who have historically had higher rates of poverty. Tomorrow the young man who doesn't have a good education, who didn't complete high school, can't enter the formal labor market, but very easily can enter the informal work force," said CONEVAL executive secretary, Gonzalo Hernández Licona.

As recorded in 2012, this group averages 2.4 categories of social deprivation, which highlights the lack of access to social security [health insurance], food and basic housing; 61.3% of the young are below the line that marks a level of well being.

The population over 65 years of age, has the second highest level in poverty, 45.8%.

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