According to Encovi (a survey instrument supported by international organisations), 9.7 million people in Guatemala are poor, that is, 56% of the total population. And 16.2% live in extreme poverty.
From 2014 to 2023, however, there was a reduction of 3.0 per cent in the first item and 7.0 per cent in the second, authorities of the National Institute of Statistics (INE) detailed when presenting the results of the latest survey of living conditions called Encovi.
Some 68% of those without education are in poverty, levels that decrease according to the level of education, with only 9.9 per cent of university students, according to the organisation.
The departments of Alta Verapaz and Quiché exhibit the highest incidence of poverty with 90.3% and 86.4%, respectively. In the range between 81.2% and 80% are Huehuetenango, Baja Verapaz and Jalapa, he added. 61.3% of the extreme poor have electricity, 54.7% access to drinking water, 14.1% drainage, 97.2% use firewood, 0.9% telephony, 67.2% mobile phones, 15.7% cable TV and 2.0% residential internet.
The acting manager of INE, Marco Antonio Mejía, explained that the Encovi was carried out from 6 August to 27 December 2023 and technological tools were used to obtain quality data.
Guatemala materialised for the fifth time this instrument, which was accompanied by international agencies and provided the government with a wide range of socio-economic and demographic indicators at the individual and household level. These include schooling, participation in social programmes, labour and non-labour income, household expenditure decisions, migration and labour market participation.
In addition, time allocation, expectations, tastes and habits, perceptions of health status, health service utilisation, as well as insurance.
The entity promoted the Encovi through a campaign in Spanish, Mam, K’iche‘ and Q’eqchi’, with the support of the Academy of Mayan Languages of Guatemala. PL
(Translated by Cristina Popa – Email: gcpopa83@gmail.com) –Photos: Pixabay
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