Poverty in Peru is deepest in remote rural areas. Millions of Peruvians – more than half the country's people – struggle to survive, making out an existence below the poverty line. Close to one fourth of them live in extreme poverty.
Lack of opportunities for rural people have caused a massive migration to urban areas, where market activity offers poor people opportunities for survival. Three out of every four Peruvians live in urban areas. The majority of Peru's poor people live in and around Lima, the capital.
Despite years of promises and billions in social programs, the bulk of Peru's population (54 percent) lives in poverty, according to the CIA World Factbook. Of the poor, the UNDP estimates that 19 percent live in "absolute poverty," meaning they survive on less than US$1 a day.
Lack of opportunities for rural people have caused a massive migration to urban areas, where market activity offers poor people opportunities for survival. Three out of every four Peruvians live in urban areas. The majority of Peru's poor people live in and around Lima, the capital.
Despite years of promises and billions in social programs, the bulk of Peru's population (54 percent) lives in poverty, according to the CIA World Factbook. Of the poor, the UNDP estimates that 19 percent live in "absolute poverty," meaning they survive on less than US$1 a day.
What Conditions Are Like
- Peru is the fourth most populous country in South America with a total census of 28.5 million, 48 percent of which are indigenous. The Peruvian indigenous population consists of a variety of native ethnic groups, Quechua and Aymara being the largest. Poverty levels in Peru are highest for indigenous groups. Forty-three percent of all households are facing moderate poverty and 52 percent of those living in extreme poverty are indigenous.
