Nearly half of Argentine households are suffering from "economic stress," according to the latest UCA report.

The drop in inflation brought some relief, but it failed to erase the accumulated impact of years of economic decline . This was reflected in the latest report from the UCA Social Debt Observatory (ODSA-UCA), which revealed that 47% of the country's households are experiencing "economic stress," a category that includes those unable to save or comfortably make ends meet.

The indicator emerged from the same survey that the UCA uses to measure poverty and indigence, although in this case it is a subjective perception based on families' daily experiences . "It's a more realistic measure for understanding what households are experiencing," explained Agustín Salvia , director of the Observatory and a sociologist at Conicet .

At the end of 2024, 36.6% of households were poor based on their reported income, while 8.8% were destitute . But "economic stress" affected 47%, demonstrating that there is a broad segment of workers who, while not technically poor, struggle to meet their basic needs.

The phenomenon is not new, but it is growing: in 2022, the same measure stood at 41.1%, representing an increase of almost six points in just two years. According to the study's authors, this deterioration is due to a combination of inflation, falling real incomes, and changes in relative prices that impacted sensitive sectors such as retirees, informal workers, and public employees.

According to Salvia, income poverty doesn't capture the full complexity of the current situation. " Economic stress reflects a broader reality, which includes the inability to maintain a certain standard of living beyond the poverty line ," he noted.

Experts warn that, although inflation began to slow in late 2023, the reconfiguration of the social landscape has not yet allowed for a real recovery in purchasing power. Basic services such as healthcare, transportation, and energy, which have been cut after years of inflation, now consume a larger share of household income, especially in the lower income brackets.

A parallel report by consultant Fernando Moiguer stated that there is a perceived "economic recovery that is not reaching everyone ." And while there are sectors with greater spending capacity, such as registered private employment, informal workers and retirees continue to lag behind.

Inequality in access to basic goods and services is deepening and is one of the factors most influencing the negative perception of the economic situation, even when macroeconomic variables show signs of improvement.

The items that most affect disposable income are food, healthcare, medicine, transportation, and fuel. The report also highlights that formal employment is key to cushioning these effects: those with formal jobs are better able to cope with the crisis, although they are also showing signs of discomfort.

The UCA insists that these types of indicators should be permanently incorporated into the analysis of the social situation , so as not to lose sight of the complexity of a country where, even in periods of low inflation, millions of people are unable to restore their quality of life.