Poverty and living standards in Ayacucho, Peru: official figures
33.7% of the people of Ayacucho lived in monetary poverty in 2025, according to INEI's National Household Survey (7th highest of 26 areas INEI reports; Peru 25.7%).
Is poverty falling in Ayacucho?
Monetary poverty in Ayacucho was 33.7% in 2025 against 32.8% in 2024, up 0.9 percentage points (not a statistically significant change by INEI's test); it was 39.4% in 2019, before the pandemic, and 37.5% in 2016.
Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadistica e Informatica (INEI) · saved copyHow precise is the poverty figure for Ayacucho?
The 95% confidence interval of INEI's 2025 poverty estimate for Ayacucho runs from 29.2% to 38.2% (coefficient of variation 6.8%). The highest rate in the 2016-2025 series was 46.4% in 2020.
Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadistica e Informatica (INEI) · saved copyHow does poverty in Ayacucho compare with other departments?
INEI places Ayacucho in group 1 of 5 groups of departments (group 1 is the poorest) whose 2025 poverty rates are statistically similar; INEI gives the group a 95% confidence range of 35.7% to 39.8%, together with Cajamarca, Huancavelica, Huanuco, Loreto, Pasco and Puno.
Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadistica e Informatica (INEI) · saved copyHow much extreme poverty is there in Ayacucho?
For extreme poverty (household spending below the cost of a basic food basket), INEI places Ayacucho in group 3 of 5 for 2025 (group 1 is the poorest), with a 95% confidence range of 2.9% to 4.3% for the group.
Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadistica e Informatica (INEI) · saved copyWhat is the average income in Ayacucho?
Average real income per person in Ayacucho was 1,000 soles a month in 2025, in constant 2025 soles at Lima Metropolitana prices (8th lowest of 26 areas INEI reports; Peru 1,252).
Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadistica e Informatica (INEI) · saved copyHas income recovered since the pandemic in Ayacucho?
Real income per person in Ayacucho was 1,000 soles a month in 2025 against 916 in 2019 and 864 in 2016 (constant 2025 soles), a change of +9.2% since 2019 (Peru -5.2%).
Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadistica e Informatica (INEI) · saved copyHow Ayacucho compares with other departments
People in monetary poverty (2025)
Ayacucho ranks 7 of 24, highest first. Lima Metropolitana and the Lima region are reported separately by INEI and are not ranked here
| Rank | Region | People in monetary poverty |
|---|---|---|
| 4 | Pasco | 36.4% |
| 5 | Huanuco | 35.7% |
| 6 | Huancavelica | 34.3% |
| 7 | Ayacucho | 33.7% |
| 8 | Callao | 32.1% |
| 9 | Tumbes | 28.3% |
| 10 | Piura | 28.1% |
Average real income per person a month (soles) (2025)
Ayacucho ranks 17 of 24, highest first. Constant 2025 soles at Lima Metropolitana prices; Lima Metropolitana and the Lima region are reported separately by INEI and are not ranked here
| Rank | Region | Average real income per person a month (soles) |
|---|---|---|
| 14 | Tumbes | 1,094 |
| 15 | Cusco | 1,087 |
| 16 | Apurimac | 1,076 |
| 17 | Ayacucho | 1,000 |
| 18 | Pasco | 991 |
| 19 | Ucayali | 961 |
| 20 | Cajamarca | 941 |
More on Ayacucho: overview · economy and jobs · health · education and schools · government budget · Peru
Sources
- Instituto Nacional de Estadistica e Informatica (INEI): Peru: Evolucion de la Pobreza Monetaria 2016-2025, Informe Tecnico (ENAHO): cuadros III.1 (poverty incidence by department), I.15 (real income per person by department), 4.2 and 4.4 (groups of departments with statistically similar total and extreme poverty), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 475cc9c6b9c3…)
Each saved copy is the file exactly as downloaded, kept so the figures can be checked even if the source changes. Report an error.