Poverty and living standards in Huancavelica, Peru: official figures
34.3% of the people of Huancavelica lived in monetary poverty in 2025, according to INEI's National Household Survey (6th highest of 26 areas INEI reports; Peru 25.7%).
Is poverty falling in Huancavelica?
Monetary poverty in Huancavelica was 34.3% in 2025 against 33.4% in 2024, up 0.9 percentage points (not a statistically significant change by INEI's test); it was 36.9% in 2019, before the pandemic, and 44.7% in 2016.
Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadistica e Informatica (INEI) · saved copyHow precise is the poverty figure for Huancavelica?
The 95% confidence interval of INEI's 2025 poverty estimate for Huancavelica runs from 29.2% to 39.4% (coefficient of variation 7.5%). The highest rate in the 2016-2025 series was 47.7% in 2020.
Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadistica e Informatica (INEI) · saved copyHow does poverty in Huancavelica compare with other departments?
INEI places Huancavelica 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, Cajamarca, Huanuco, Loreto, Pasco and Puno.
Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadistica e Informatica (INEI) · saved copyHow much extreme poverty is there in Huancavelica?
For extreme poverty (household spending below the cost of a basic food basket), INEI places Huancavelica in group 2 of 5 for 2025 (group 1 is the poorest), with a 95% confidence range of 5.8% to 8.6% for the group.
Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadistica e Informatica (INEI) · saved copyWhat is the average income in Huancavelica?
Average real income per person in Huancavelica was 822 soles a month in 2025, in constant 2025 soles at Lima Metropolitana prices (the 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 Huancavelica?
Real income per person in Huancavelica was 822 soles a month in 2025 against 710 in 2019 and 658 in 2016 (constant 2025 soles), a change of +15.8% since 2019 (Peru -5.2%).
Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadistica e Informatica (INEI) · saved copyHow Huancavelica compares with other departments
People in monetary poverty (2025)
Huancavelica ranks 6 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | Puno | 37.5% |
| 4 | Pasco | 36.4% |
| 5 | Huanuco | 35.7% |
| 6 | Huancavelica | 34.3% |
| 7 | Ayacucho | 33.7% |
| 8 | Callao | 32.1% |
| 9 | Tumbes | 28.3% |
Average real income per person a month (soles) (2025)
Huancavelica ranks 24 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) |
|---|---|---|
| 18 | Pasco | 991 |
| 19 | Ucayali | 961 |
| 20 | Cajamarca | 941 |
| 21 | Puno | 926 |
| 22 | Loreto | 913 |
| 23 | Huanuco | 913 |
| 24 | Huancavelica | 822 |
More on Huancavelica: 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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