‎The poverty of Latin America‎

 ‎The poverty of Latin America‎

‎Some stand out in stark contrast, such as the economic and social differences between the United States and Latin American countries. Since gaining independence from Britain in the late eighteenth century, the United States has provided virtually limitless opportunities for its growing population, as well as a rising standard of living. Latin American countries gained their independence from Spain and Portugal in the first decades of the nineteenth century, but their societies, for the most part, experienced little economic prosperity and enjoyed as little political and personal freedom as their northern neighbors.‎

What are the poorest countries in Latin America?

The research center of the Oxford University Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI) and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) published this Thursday the most recent update of the Multidimensional Poverty Index (IPM). The publication concluded that Guatemala, Bolivia and Honduras are the poorest Latin American countries among the 18 for which it has information and that it does not include nations such as Haiti and Venezuela.

The report detailed that Guatemala with 29% of its poor population, according to the MPI, is the country with the most poverty in Latin America. Bolivia and Honduras follow with percentages of 20.45% and 19.49%.

The index placed Nicaragua and Peru in fourth and fifth position with poverty percentages of 16.30% and 12.45%. Suriname, El Salvador, Mexico, Colombia and Jamaica complete the top 10 places in the OPHI and UNDP publication with percentages of 9.38%, 7.95%, 6.32%, 5.03% and 4.69 %, respectively.

With percentages of poverty below 4.6%, Paraguay, Ecuador, Belize, the Dominican Republic, Guyana, Barbados, Saint Lucia and Trinidad and Tobago are on the list.