Poverty in Florencia: Analysis of causes, consequences, and possible solutions
The series Documentos de trabajo sobre economía regional y urbana (only in Spanish, Working Papers on Regional and Urban Economics) is a publication of Banco de la República in Cartagena. The opinions contained in this document are the sole responsibility of the authors and do not commit Banco de la República or its Board of Directors.
The working paper series Documentos de Trabajo sobre Economía Regional y Urbana is published by Banco de la República (Central Bank of Colombia). The findings and opinions are those of the authors and do not reflect the views of Banco de la República or its Board of Directors.
The opinions expressed in this document are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of Banco de la República or its Board of Directors..
ABSTRACT
Poverty rate in Colombia dropped heterogeneously among capital cities during the last four decades. Despite a decline in monetary poverty, Florencia remains far below national average and main capital cities. The state capital of Caquetá had 32,8% of the population under the poverty line in 2018, which placed them within the six highest among the 23 main cities. This rate was 1,2 times higher than the national average, 2,0 the average of the 13 main cities, and 2,6 the measure of Bogotá. This document addresses and characterizes these conditions in Florencia employing the SISBEN III database, the national household survey and cartographic information. Results reveal that poverty is clustered in the eastern and western peripheral sectors, where slums have been established
as a consequence of unplanned urban growth and forced displacement primarily in the 2000s. In order to overcome these challenges, this study proposes a set of investments to close the poverty gap by 2030.
