YEREVAN. – According to the latest statistical data for 2019, during 2018 the government managed to reduce the poverty rate by 2.2 percentage points to 23.5%. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan stated this at today's session of the Government of Armenia.

"During the same period, the extreme poverty rate dropped from 1.2% all the way to 1%," Pashinyan added. “In fact, Armenia has historically had the lowest poverty rate. [But] there is a problem here; the methodology by which poverty is calculated was introduced in 2009."

The PM reminded that the new government has envisioned in its plan that extreme poverty should be eliminated by 2023. "The indicator for 2019 gives us confidence that this is indeed a feasible task," the he emphasized.

Pashinyan added that in 2019, the average monthly nominal salary in Armenia increased by 5.8%.