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Argentina faces rising inequality and declining consumer spending
Argentina is experiencing significant economic shifts characterized by rising inequality and declining consumption. According to Indec, the Gini coefficient for the second quarter of 2026 was 0.428, indicating a slight increase in inequality compared to the same period in 2025. The income gap remains stark, with the top 10% of the population earning 13 times more than the bottom 10%.
Consumer spending in the supermarket sector has seen a major downturn. Reports from Ficonomics indicate that real sales between January and July 2026 fell 15.8% compared to 2023 and 7% compared to 2025. This decline is widespread across all 24 jurisdictions, driven largely by the depreciation of real wages and rising fixed costs like utilities and transport.
Poverty and employment also show concerning trends. Urban household poverty rose from 21% in the second half of 2025 to 24% in the first half of 2026, while the total population in poverty increased from 28% to 32%. Registered private employment fell by 2% year-on-year in the second quarter of 2026, though sectors like construction and mining have shown some resilience.
Entities
Argentina · CAME · Ficonomics · INDEC · Javier Milei · Secretaría de Trabajo, Empleo y Seguridad Social
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Urban household poverty rose from 21% in the second half of 2025 to 24% in the first half of 2026. asiesnuestravida.com.ar
- [● 3 SOURCES] The top 10% of the population earned 13 times more than the bottom 10%. weblavoz.com.ar · mega975.com.ar · cdnoticias.com
- [● 3 SOURCES] Real supermarket sales from January to July 2026 fell 15.8% compared to the same period in 2023. www.zonanortehoy.com · www.canal13sanjuan.com · www.perfil.com
- [● 2 SOURCES] Formal workers earned an average of $1,433,794, while informal workers earned $706,204. mega975.com.ar · cdnoticias.com
- [● 3 SOURCES] The Gini coefficient was 0.428 in the second quarter of 2026. weblavoz.com.ar · mega975.com.ar · cdnoticias.com
- [○ 1 SOURCE] The percentage of the population living in poverty increased from 28% to 32%. asiesnuestravida.com.ar
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Registered private employment fell by 2% year-on-year in the second quarter of 2026. www.elsol.com.ar
- [● 3 SOURCES] Supermarket sales were 7% lower than the January-July 2025 accumulation after adjusting for inflation. www.zonanortehoy.com · www.canal13sanjuan.com · www.perfil.com