The Casen Survey: progress against poverty

According to the latest National Socioeconomic Characterization Survey, Casen 2006, Chile has achieved substantial reductions in poverty. The survey, covering 74,000 homes, showed a decline in the poverty rate from 18.7% in 2003 to 13.7% in 2006, with extreme poverty falling from 4.7% to 3.2%.

For President Michelle Bachelet, these advances are concrete evidence that it is possible to achieve economic growth while simultaneously providing greater protection to all Chileans. “Growth for inclusion, and inclusion for growth – that is not just a slogan, but a reality,” she asserted.

Income inequality also declined, with the gap between the highest and lowest 20% of the population decreasing from a factor of 14.4 to 13.1. If government transfer payments and State education and health care subsidies are included, the index falls further, to a factor of 7.

The regions of the country showing the greatest declines in poverty were the Atacama, with a drop of 14.5%, and the Araucanía, with 9.6%. The zone with the lowest overall rates of poverty and indigence is the Magallanes Region.

The Casen Survey, undertaken every three years, measures the country's progress in the economic and social spheres. It investigates how many people in Chile are able to satisfy their basic needs – defined by a market basket of goods and services – and how many cannot do so.

The survey, carried out by the Ministry of Planning, is supported by the University of Chile and validated by ECLAC.