More than 20 million below the poverty line in Colombia

According to updated statistics released by the government, 46% of Colombia’s population is below the poverty line. The percentage has decreased in comparison to 2002 statistics, when 53.7% of Colombians were considered poor .

Esteban Piedrahita, director of DNP (National Planning Agency) was pleased with the fall of the poverty figures but expressed concerns with the extreme poverty statistics, which show more than 8 million Colombians living with less than 50 USD a month. These statistics rose from 15.7% in 2005 to 17.8% in 2008 and are due to rising inflation and high food prices.