LatinNews Daily - 08 October 2026

*Uruguay’s national statistics institute (INE) has released new figures showing 11.6% of households and 14.8% of people were below the poverty line in the first half of 2026, while 1.0% of households and 1.2% of the population were living in extreme poverty. These figures are down from the poverty rates registered for the first half of 2025, when 13.9% of households and 17.7% of the population were below the poverty line and 1.4% of households and 1.8% of people were living in extreme poverty. Addressing the issue of poverty, especially child poverty, has been a priority for the government of President Yamandú Orsi. Last month congress approved the Orsi administration’s budget accountability bill, which included changes to the budget and measures to reduce poverty, such as additional funding for early childhood programmes. Yesterday the minister for housing, Tamara Paseyro, also highlighted some of the government’s plans to alleviate poverty, which include the construction of more homes and housing benefit subsidies.