The most recent survey on family income and expenses revealed that at least 2,100,000 Dominicans had incomes of less than RD$894 per month, which means 25% of the Dominican population lives in a condition of extreme poverty. The Central Bank survey showed the lowest incomes were those of households head by single women (gender handicap), with minimum levels of education (education handicap), those with many children (demographic handicap), those where the family heads were unemployed, or those head by farmers. The study showed there is a direct relation between the educational level of the head of the family and the income of the family. Susana Games, director of National Accounts and Statistics of the Central Bank, said that the study revealed poverty in the DR has declined from 31.7% in 1992 to 21.5% in 1998. Poverty levels in rural areas double those in urban areas. A household with an income of RD$3,775 per month is considered to be living at the level of extreme poverty. The study showed there is a better distribution of wealth. Notwithstanding, the study showed that 10% of the Dominican population still controls RD$37.40 of each RD$100 of income. Today, 20% of the Dominican population receives 53% of the total income. Women head 29% of Dominican households. And 62% of the households with more than six members make up 40% of the households with the lowest income. The study covered 4,810 households, from October 1997 to September 1998. The Department of National Accounts and Economic Statistics of the Central Bank carried it out with the assistance of the World Labor Organization, the CEPAL, the Program for Development of the United Nations, local and foreign universities and the Economy and Development Foundation.
