YEREVAN. – The Armenian National Statistical Service issued the poverty indicators in the country, Zhoghovurd daily reports. 

“Accordingly, it was 35.8 in 2010, 35 in 2011, and 32.4 percent in 2012.

“The official statistics attempted to show that the extreme poverty rate also dropped; instead of the 3 percent in 2010, now it is 2.8 percent.

“These indicators, however, do not mean that poverty has truly reduced in Armenia. In reality, people continue to live in the same poor conditions. But as a result of hocus-pocus with numbers, there is the impression that this indicator is dropping.   

“The thing is that the authorities have consistently raised the poverty threshold every year; that is, if a person with a monthly income of 33,500 drams [approx. $81] was considered poor in the past, now, however, it is the one who has  37,000 drams [approx. $90].

“The fact that they attempted to show that they are resolving the socioeconomic issues, by slightly raising the minimum wage, has played a major role in the reduction of the poverty number,” Zhoghovurd writes.