Argentina elderly face rising income insufficiency and food insecurity

A report by the Observatorio de la Deuda Social Argentina at the Universidad Católica Argentina (ODSA-UCA) indicates a significant deterioration in the living conditions of elderly populations in Argentina during 2024-2025.

Approximately 46% of households with individuals aged 60 or older reported insufficient income, the highest level recorded since the study began in 2017. This economic strain is most acute in the lowest socioeconomic strata, where 71.1% of households with seniors cannot cover their needs.

The report highlights rising food insecurity, which increased from 12.3% in 2017-2019 to 18.4% in 2024-2025. Vulnerability is highly unequal; the risk of food insecurity for those in the lowest socioeconomic tier is more than 35 times higher than for those in the upper-middle class. Additionally, 21.3% of households with elderly members have ceased paying at least one public utility service due to lack of funds, a figure that rises to 39.4% among the most vulnerable sectors.