Argentina: 10 Numbers You Should Know

When a Rust Belt obsession gets out of control, the quest to find things with lost promise and unmet potential extends well beyond American cities. The true fanatics start looking for entire countries that fit the bill. And that’s where Argentina enters the picture. Sure, there’s wine, tango, and the wannabe Paris thing. But there’s also debt, inflation, and the parallel black market thing. If you know these 10 numbers, you’ll get the general idea.

 

1810

The year Argentinians formed their own government, ultimately declaring independence from Spain in 1816. Civil war(s) ensued for several decades, but much like the US, the young country would become a magnet for all sorts of European (and Asian) immigrants.

 

46 million

The approximate population of Argentina, spread over 23 provinces and one autonomous city, namely the capital of Buenos Aires, whose metropolitan area contains about one third of the country’s population.

 

60

An estimate regarding the percentage of Argentinians with partial or full Italian ancestry. As such, the de facto official language of Spanish has been heavily influenced by Italian. You might also hear actual Italian, English, Arabic, German, indigenous languages, and even Welsh!

 

62

Argentina’s ranking on a list of countries and territories by nominal GDP per capita. While this position is not cause for alarm, it is a source of disappointment for a country that—thanks to agricultural exports—had ranked ahead of the US on this list at the dawn of the 20th century.

 

1946

The year Juan Perón first assumed the presidency. His charismatic second wife, Eva—known by the nickname Evita—later inspired both a musical and film (think Madonna) that depicted her life and premature death at age 33 from cervical cancer.

Perón would have three stints as president, and so-called Peronism—a nebulous but generally populist political philosophy—involved the nationalization of industry, the restriction of imports, and the implementation of generous social programs. Despite the fact that having to pay for such programs has contributed to inflation (see below), Peronism remains an important ideological force in Argentinian politics today.

 

1976

The year a US-supported military dictatorship overthrew the government of Perón’s third wife, who had ascended to power upon his death in 1974. From there began a dark seven-year chapter in Argentinian history, one characterized by the disappearance of thousands of leftist opponents.

 

1982

The year the aforementioned dictatorship unsuccessfully invaded the Malvinas Islands (also known as the Falklands), a British overseas territory located about 300 miles east of the Argentinian mainland. Reeling from the loss, the government was ousted in 1983, giving way to the modern democracy.

 

42.2 billion

The debt in US dollars owed by Argentina to the International Monetary Fund, the greatest such debt of any country. Decades of mismanagement and conflict have helped achieve this honor.

 

50

The core inflation rate in Argentina from 2017-2022, dwarfing the single-digit rates that have Americans up in arms. With the expectation that their currency will continue to lose value, Argentinians are more than willing to exchange Argentine pesos for US dollars at a black market rate that far exceeds the official rate. Meanwhile, as the purchasing power of the populace has diminished, the poverty rate has skyrocketed, hovering around 40 percent.

 

3

The number of times Argentina has won the FIFA World Cup, that being in 1978, 1986, and 2022. As economic performance has declined, the on-field performance of the soccer team has taken on disproportionate importance.

 

Author’s note: This piece is dedicated to all the Rust Belters who endure gray skies, abandoned buildings, stagnant wages, and coastal-elite condescension. Just remember—at least you’re not in Argentina.