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MEF: Social programs explained 83% decline in 2014 poverty rates

LIMA PERÚ, ABRIL 23. Ministro de Economía, Alonso Segura, junto a la Ministra de Desarrollo e Inclusión Social, Paola Bustamante informan sobre los avances del gobierno en la lucha contra la pobreza.  Foto: ANDINA/Melina Mejía

LIMA PERÚ, ABRIL 23. Ministro de Economía, Alonso Segura, junto a la Ministra de Desarrollo e Inclusión Social, Paola Bustamante informan sobre los avances del gobierno en la lucha contra la pobreza. Foto: ANDINA/Melina Mejía

07:49 | Lima, Apr. 24.

Social programs in Peru explained 83% reduction in poverty reached in 2014, while remaining 13% was attributed to economic growth, Peru’s Economy and Finance Minister, Alonso Segura, said.

Economic growth impact on poverty reduction has been reducing as Peru has strengthened its social programs. 

Between 2011 and 2014, economic growth explained, in average, 63% reduction in poverty, whereas the remaining 37% was explained by the redistributive effect of social policies.

In rural areas, public transfers (Pension 65, Beca 18, Juntos, among others) accounted for 5% of actual expenditure of families.

Transfers have increased, particularly since 2011, and have contributed to a significant reduction of rural poverty, and that is observed, especially in rural highlands, where the decline has been almost 12 percentage points.

Likewise, he said poverty reduction “spectacular results” are more pronounced among the poorest people in rural areas.

“Social programs have worked for the poorest. Indicators of poverty and extreme poverty show important progress made in rural zones and proved the efficiency of articulated programs,” he pointed out.

According to the results issued by the National Institute of Statistics and Informatics (INEI), poverty in Peru declined from 27.8% in 2011 to 22.7% in 2014, that is, 5.1 percentage points, which means 1.3 million people were lifted out of poverty.

(END) RGP/JJN/RMB/MVB

Published: 4/24/2015