Where is there more and less poverty in Ecuador?

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Fifty-seven percent of those who receive state aid because they live in conditions of poverty or vulnerability are on the coast. In Guayas, there are 285,593 beneficiaries of bonuses, that is, 20% of the total population receiving them; followed by Manabí (13.80%), Los Ríos (8.65%), and Esmeraldas (5.80%), which are among the most populated provinces and which are located above the national poverty average, except Guayas. But none of them is the poorest; Morona Santiago holds that position.

Pichincha and Azuay capture 5.59% and 4% of the bonuses. In these two provinces of the Sierra, there is less poverty, according to the official rates of the National Institute of Statistics and Census (INEC).

No matter the measured parameters: income poverty, multidimensional poverty, or unsatisfied basic needs, Morona Santiago has the highest poverty rate in Ecuador and Pichincha and Azuay, the lowest. For example, Morona Santiago has 82.4% of multidimensional poverty considering infrastructure; Pichincha, 15.7%; and Azuay, 28.1%. Income poverty in Morona Santiago is 70.5%; in Pichincha, 19.3%; and in Azuay, 17.6%.

The geographic location of Morona Santiago is one of the factors that work against it. Between each canton, there is a distance of five, six, or eight hours; it is disconnected from technology, from academic training; in addition, between 70% and 80% of the roads are in terrible conditions, which does not allow to take the products to the markets. One of the two legislators representing this province in the Assembly, Celestino Chumpi de Pachakutik, describes that they feel isolated, “a total exclusion”, even though there is mining in the area, which is a sector in total development. On Thursday, March 24, a demonstration is planned in Puyo to demand attention from the government, especially in the area of roads.

In the Amazon, there is another type of organization of cities: there is the main city, which is not so big, and the rest are like units that exist under the same traditional economy, says economic analyst Guillermo Granja. “The difference with the coast is that you can live in the countryside, but you sell your products, earn something, and support yourself. On the other hand, they normally produce for their subsistence, and a certain part goes to the city.” Poverty weighs more heavily the farther you are from the main cities, and on the coast, there are several. On the other hand, in the Amazon, it is different. He says poverty is higher in the eastern region with less access.

Why does Guayas concentrate 20% of the delivery of bonuses and Pichincha only 5%? Granja says the floating population influences in the first case, while in Pichincha, it helps the high concentration of businesses and companies and, with it, of formal employment, because these two indicators are associated: the more adequate jobs, the less poverty.

Indeed, Pichincha has the best employment rate: 43.6% in 2021; before the pandemic, it was 53%. At the same time, Guayas went from 45% to 37.4%.

Poverty is found more in the periphery. It is also linked to geography and ethnicity. A social assessment conducted before the pandemic by the Ministry of Economic and Social Inclusion and the World Bank indicates that poverty and lack of access to quality services in rural areas and the Amazon were still higher than average. “Indigenous people and Afro-Ecuadorian populations are also more likely to be poor and have less access to services, regardless of where they live.”

And at the provincial level, it also referred to significant differences, for example, that years ago, compared to a poverty rate of 25.8% at the national level, Napo, Chimborazo, and Morona Santiago had rates above 50%. Likewise, 27% of Ecuador’s cantons and 45% of the parishes had rates above 50%. The parishes with the highest poverty rates (57-96%) were concentrated in the northwest of the country (Esmeraldas, Imbabura, and Carchi), the central zone (Cotopaxi and Chimborazo), and the Amazon (Napo, Pastaza, and Morona Santiago).

That evaluation was made precisely within a project to improve coverage to the poorest and create a comprehensive strategy for beneficiaries to improve their situation and no longer need to receive the bonus.

Currently, there are 1,446,164 beneficiaries of the Human Development Bonus and pensions for the elderly and people with disabilities, which are US$50, US$100, US$150, and US$240, in addition to the bonus to minors for the violent death of their mother. In 2021, US$1.1 billion were paid in this assistance and US$255.5 million in occasional bonuses during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In January 2022, US$90.2 million was allocated for bonuses. And more are delivered to women, youth, and adults, according to information provided by the Ministry of Economic and Social Inclusion.

Seventy-eight percent of the beneficiaries are women. And by age, the groups with more users are 30 to 39 years old and 19 to 29 years old.

With information from El Universo