ARGENTINAEcuador
| Country Area (thousands sq. kilometers) |
283.6 |
| Population (in millions) | 13 |
| GDP (U$ billions) | 41.4 |
| GNI per capita (Atlas method, U$S) | 2,910 |
| Poverty Index (% of population below poverty line) | 38 |
| Unemployment (% ) | 9 |
| Infant Mortality (per 1,000 live births) | 21 |
| Child Malnutrition (% children under five) | 10 |
| Illiteracy (%) | 9 |
| Primary School Enrollment (% male/female) | 97/98 |
| Secondary School Enrollment (% male/female) | 52/53 |
| Child labor (ages 5 to14 %) | 12 |
| Life Expectancy at Birth (years) | 75 |
• In Ecuador, large disparities exist between the rich and the poor. Consequently, indigenous
and Afro-Ecuadorian children are more prone to growing up in poverty and having limited access to education.
• Stunted growth as a result of chronic malnutrition affects 26 percent of children under 5,
with rates being markedly worse for indigenous children.
• Poor families face extreme difficulty
in sending their children to school because limited school budgets force them to cover the costs of books,
teaching materials and utilities.
• Despite net primary school enrollment rates being above 97 percent,
only half of all students enroll in secondary school. 16 percent of students between the ages of 12 and 17 drop out in order to work and make ends meet.
Sources: World Bank Development Indicators database, UNICEF, State of the World’s Children, CIA Fact book.
