Study Found 30% of Armenians Lived in Poverty in 2014

Armenian households living in poverty totaled 30% in 2014, according to the findings of a study conducted by Armenia's National Statistical Service (NSS).

The report, Social Snapshot and Poverty in Armenia, published by officials on Monday stated that every three Armenians from ten lived below the upper poverty line of 40,264 drams (less than $84) per month. Compared to the same period in 2013, poverty rate fell 2 percentage points in 2014; however, the total poverty rate was still 2.4 percentage points higher than in 2008, the NSS said.

In 2014, upper, lower, and extreme poverty lines per adult equivalent per month were estimated to be  AMD 40,264 ($ 83.3), AMD 33,101 ($ 68.5) and AMD 23,384 ($ 48.4) respectively. Those with per adult consumption equivalent below the upper total poverty line were defined as poor; those with per adult consumption equivalent below the lower general poverty line – as very poor, whereas the extremely poor are defined as those with per adult consumption equivalent below the food poverty line. 

Thus, the study has found that the number of the poor in Armenia in 2014 was around 900 thousand. The number of the very poor – 330 thousand, and that of the extremely poor – around 70 thousand. 

“In 2014, poverty rate did not significantly differ between urban (30.0%) and rural (29.9%) locations. Over 2008-2014, poverty growth rate both in urban and rural communities totaled 2.4 percentage points,” the report said. 

Officials added that Armenia's capital city Yerevan had the lowest poverty rate in the country – 25.2%, which was 1.4 times lower compared to other urban communities.