Buenos Aires, August 7 (RHC)-- As Argentina’s economy continues to collapse under the weight of neo-liberal policies, child poverty has shot up, reaching almost 50 percent, according to the latest figures.  One study even puts the figure at 51 percent, with 13 percent in a state of hunger. 

The National Institute of Statistics has published a report that says the percentage of children below the poverty line is now 49.6 percent, an increase of over 11% in one year.  A separate report, published by the Catholic University of Buenos Aires, at the same time, puts the figure at 51 percent. 

Poverty in other ages groups has also risen within the same year. Among young people aged 15-29, poverty increased from 30.5 percent to 40.1 percent.  Among those aged 30-64, it rose from 21.1 to 29.4 percent. And over 65 years, from 6.1 to 9.1 percent.

These figures show that one in every two children in Argentina lives in poverty, which amounts to 5 million, one million of whom are homeless.   Child poverty has increased by around 20 percent compared to the period under former progressive President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner. 

Since neo-liberal President Mauricio Macri has taken power, inflation has sharply increased, annual figures reached nearly 60 percent in May, placing Argentina above South Sudan, and ranking as the country with the third-highest inflation in the world.

This has followed the implementation of free-market policies such as privatization, lifting of price controls and subsidies, all policies demanded in return for huge IMF loans amounting to $56 billion, which is 61 percent of all credit currently given out by the IMF.

Opinion polls show the incumbent is likely to lose, with progressive coalition known as Fernandez-Fernandez, leading in upcoming presidential elections, to be held on October 27th this year.