Poverty and living standards in Cajamarca, Peru: official figures
41.0% of the people of Cajamarca lived in monetary poverty in 2025, according to INEI's National Household Survey (the highest of 26 areas INEI reports; Peru 25.7%).
Is poverty falling in Cajamarca?
Monetary poverty in Cajamarca was 41.0% in 2025 against 45.0% in 2024, down 4.0 percentage points (not a statistically significant change by INEI's test); it was 38.0% in 2019, before the pandemic, and 48.2% in 2016.
Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadistica e Informatica (INEI) · saved copyHow precise is the poverty figure for Cajamarca?
The 95% confidence interval of INEI's 2025 poverty estimate for Cajamarca runs from 36.5% to 45.6% (coefficient of variation 5.6%). The highest rate in the 2016-2025 series was 48.2% in 2016.
Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadistica e Informatica (INEI) · saved copyHow does poverty in Cajamarca compare with other departments?
INEI places Cajamarca 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 Ayacucho, Huancavelica, Huanuco, Loreto, Pasco and Puno.
Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadistica e Informatica (INEI) · saved copyHow much extreme poverty is there in Cajamarca?
For extreme poverty (household spending below the cost of a basic food basket), INEI places Cajamarca in group 1 of 5 for 2025 (group 1 is the poorest), with a 95% confidence range of 11.0% to 15.1% for the group.
Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadistica e Informatica (INEI) · saved copyWhat is the average income in Cajamarca?
Average real income per person in Cajamarca was 941 soles a month in 2025, in constant 2025 soles at Lima Metropolitana prices (5th 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 Cajamarca?
Real income per person in Cajamarca was 941 soles a month in 2025 against 898 in 2019 and 745 in 2016 (constant 2025 soles), a change of +4.8% since 2019 (Peru -5.2%).
Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadistica e Informatica (INEI) · saved copyHow Cajamarca compares with other departments
People in monetary poverty (2025)
Cajamarca ranks 1 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cajamarca | 41.0% |
| 2 | Loreto | 40.1% |
| 3 | Puno | 37.5% |
| 4 | Pasco | 36.4% |
| 5 | Huanuco | 35.7% |
| 6 | Huancavelica | 34.3% |
| 7 | Ayacucho | 33.7% |
Average real income per person a month (soles) (2025)
Cajamarca ranks 20 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) |
|---|---|---|
| 17 | Ayacucho | 1,000 |
| 18 | Pasco | 991 |
| 19 | Ucayali | 961 |
| 20 | Cajamarca | 941 |
| 21 | Puno | 926 |
| 22 | Loreto | 913 |
| 23 | Huanuco | 913 |
More on Cajamarca: 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…)
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