According to a survey conducted by the Buenos Aires Statistics and Census Institute, there has been a 23.2% increase in the number of people living on the streets in the City of Buenos Aires. In November 2024, 4,049 individuals were recorded in this condition, a figure higher than the 3,286 counted the previous year.
Of the surveyed individuals, it is noted that 2.8% have an unknown place of birth. Regarding those living on the streets, it stands out that 28.6% were born in the City of Buenos Aires and 28.4% in the province of Buenos Aires. As for the length of residency in the City, 15.1% did not provide information in this regard.
The majority of the censused individuals stated that they had spent every night of the past week on the street, representing 73.6% of the total. 71.4% of them were located on the sidewalk. Within this population, 69.5% were housed in a Social Inclusion Center (CIS), while 30.5% remained in public spaces, whether on sidewalks, under highways, or near ATMs, with it being common to see these individuals engaged in informal work such as cardboard collection, odd jobs, or begging for money.
The CIS provides immediate attention to these individuals living on the streets, offering them shelter, food, and hygiene. During the survey, an increase of 763 people was confirmed compared to the previous period. In terms of gender distribution, it is observed that 73.7% of those registered in the CIS are men.
It is important to mention that the method used for data collection was census-like, conducted by census takers who traversed the City from 6 PM to 6 AM the following day. Since the last survey, there has been an increase both in the number of people in the CIS (705 more individuals) and in those remaining on the street (58 more individuals).
The collected data reflects that the majority of the population served in the CIS are male, with an age range primarily between 19 and 59 years. 81.5% of them are over 18 years old, and a significant portion are natives of the City or the Province of Buenos Aires. The most common work activities among these individuals are cardboard collection (46.5%), odd jobs (37.8%), and street vending (19.2%).
It is also noteworthy that since this survey began in November 2017, there has been a constant increase in the number of people living on the streets. On the other hand, it is evident that a considerable percentage of the interviewed population comes from other provinces (20.1%) or even from abroad (11.9%). Finally, it is reported that 22.9% of those surveyed have lived in the City since their birth, while 54.1% have been residing there for one year or more.
