Poverty and living standards in Lima, Peru: official figures
INEI reports the department of Lima in two parts: Lima Metropolitana (the 43 districts of the province of Lima) and the Lima region (its other nine provinces). In 2025, 26.8% in Lima Metropolitana (11th highest of 26 areas INEI reports) and 21.6% in the Lima region (12th lowest of 26) of people lived in monetary poverty, according to the National Household Survey (Peru 25.7%).
Is poverty falling in Lima Metropolitana?
Monetary poverty in Lima Metropolitana was 26.8% in 2025 against 27.6% in 2024, down 0.8 percentage points (not a statistically significant change by INEI's test); it was 14.2% in 2019, before the pandemic, and 11.0% in 2016.
Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadistica e Informatica (INEI) · saved copyIs poverty falling in the Lima region?
Monetary poverty in the Lima region was 21.6% in 2025 against 21.7% in 2024, down 0.1 percentage points (not a statistically significant change by INEI's test); it was 14.5% in 2019, before the pandemic, and 11.6% in 2016.
Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadistica e Informatica (INEI) · saved copyHow precise is the poverty figure for Lima Metropolitana?
The 95% confidence interval of INEI's 2025 poverty estimate for Lima Metropolitana runs from 24.2% to 29.4% (coefficient of variation 4.9%). The highest rate in the 2016-2025 series was 28.1% in 2023.
Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadistica e Informatica (INEI) · saved copyHow precise is the poverty figure for the Lima region?
The 95% confidence interval of INEI's 2025 poverty estimate for the Lima region runs from 18.0% to 25.2% (coefficient of variation 8.5%). The highest rate in the 2016-2025 series was 26.5% in 2020.
Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadistica e Informatica (INEI) · saved copyHow does poverty in Lima Metropolitana compare with other departments?
INEI places Lima Metropolitana in group 2 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 25.4% to 29.0%, together with La Libertad, Piura, Callao and Tumbes.
Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadistica e Informatica (INEI) · saved copyHow does poverty in the Lima region compare with other departments?
INEI places the Lima region in group 3 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 19.4% to 22.3%, together with Amazonas, Ancash, Apurimac, Cusco, San Martin, Tacna and Ucayali.
Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadistica e Informatica (INEI) · saved copyHow much extreme poverty is there in Lima Metropolitana?
For extreme poverty (household spending below the cost of a basic food basket), INEI places Lima Metropolitana 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 copyHow much extreme poverty is there in the Lima region?
For extreme poverty (household spending below the cost of a basic food basket), INEI places the Lima region 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 Lima?
Average real income per person was 1,454 soles a month in Lima Metropolitana in 2025 (4th highest of 26 areas INEI reports) and 1,243 soles in the Lima region (10th highest of 26), in constant 2025 soles at Lima Metropolitana prices (Peru 1,252).
Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadistica e Informatica (INEI) · saved copyHas income recovered since the pandemic in Lima Metropolitana?
Real income per person in Lima Metropolitana was 1,454 soles a month in 2025 against 1,707 in 2019 and 1,761 in 2016 (constant 2025 soles), a change of -14.8% since 2019 (Peru -5.2%).
Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadistica e Informatica (INEI) · saved copyHas income recovered since the pandemic in the Lima region?
Real income per person in the Lima region was 1,243 soles a month in 2025 against 1,213 in 2019 and 1,235 in 2016 (constant 2025 soles), a change of +2.5% since 2019 (Peru -5.2%).
Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadistica e Informatica (INEI) · saved copyHow Lima compares with other departments
More on Lima: 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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