85.3 Overall Score (up 15.8 since Aug 1st.)

Argentina

  • 78.7 Public Health
    Directives
  • 72.9 Financial
    Response
  • 100 Fact-Based
    Communication
  • 78.7 Public Health
    Directives
  • 72.9 Financial
    Response
  • 100 Fact-Based
    Communication

Argentina’s strong policy score is mainly due to its strong political response, characterized by clear, fact-based communication and regular press briefings by President Fernandez.

Pre-COVID Conditions

Low availability of hospital beds and a low GDP per capita kept Argentina near the median in its pre-pandemic capabilities.

  • Debt/GDP ratio 86.1%
  • GDP/capita $19,971
  • Gini coefficient (out of 100) 41.4
  • Infant mortality rate (out of 1,000 live births) 9
  • Healthcare access score (out of 100) 68.4
  • Hospital beds/1,000 People 35.8

Government Response

Select a data point for more information
(Data points represent policy level as of Jan 1.)
78.7

Public Health Directives

Argentina has a relatively strong public health score, thanks to its strict stay-at-home order early in the crisis and stringent restrictions, although its low emergency healthcare spending and limited travel restrictions bring its score down.

  • Stay at home order 2
  • Public gathering restrictions 4
  • School closings 3
  • Public event cancellations 2
  • Testing policy 2
  • Emergency healthcare investments/capita $4.48
  • Travel restrictions 3
  • Tests/1,000 people 86.9
  • Contact tracing 2
72.9

Financial Response

While the country’s stimulus package represents a smaller share of its economy than those of other countries in our sample, Argentina has implemented a generous policy targeting debt relief related to COVID-19, keeping its score relatively strong.

  • Financial stimulus as share of GDP 6%
  • Income support 1
  • Debt forebearance 2
100

Fact-Based Communication

The Argentine authorities have consistently communicated fact- and science-based information to the public through weekly press briefings.

  • Reliance on science/fact based information 0
  • Press freedom 0

COVID-19 Status as of Jan 1

Having experienced a surge last September, and extension of the lockdown helped to bring case and death rates down.

  • Total deaths 43,319
  • Death rate per 100K 958.5
  • Total cases 1,629,594
  • Cases per 100K 36,056
  • Percent of positive tests 32
  • Change in positivity rates -35.2
Case Trend Line
Daily cases Level 2 Lockdown Level 3 Lockdown
Date Status New Cases/1M
1 Jul 17 Some shops, hair salons, professional services reopen; outdoor activities allowed 79.78
2 Jul 31 Lockdown is extended until August after cases rise 119.42
3 Sep 21 Lockdown further extended until October 11th 236.12
4 Nov 07 Move to social distancing and relax lockdown 221.03

Differentiating Factors

  • Argentina passes tax on wealthy to pay for virus measures: The Argentine senate passes a 3.5 percent tax on those with assets worth more than $2.5 million. The money raised from the tax will go toward providing medical supplies, relief for small businesses, scholarships for students, social developments, and natural gas ventures. Read More
  • Lockdown restrictions leading to violent police enforcement: Argentine security officers were given broad enforcement authority for the national lockdown from March through November 2020. Between March and August, the national Human Rights Secretary reported receiving 531 complaints of police abuse, including 25 deaths. Read More
  • Argentina puts faith in Russia vaccine: Argentina has secured doses to begin administering Russia’s Sputnik vaccine before year-end and plans to vaccinate ten million vulnerable Argentines before March. President Alberto Fernandez has stated that he will be the first to take the vaccine. Read More
  • Argentina’s COVID-19 cases spike in September: 1 in 2 tests are positive, provinces instead of cities getting hit the hardest as economic pressures force government to ease lockdown restrictions. Read More
  • Strict lockdown taking major economic toll: Imposing the strictest lockdown in Latin America, Argentina had early success limiting cases, but implementation has contributed to a major contraction in the economy. Read More
  • Peronism facilitated public compliance: The lasting legacy of Peronism, particularly its popularity among low-income and informal workers, enabled the government to swiftly enact a strict lockdown, aided by its strong centralized government. Governors wishing to lift lockdowns in their states require permission from the President. Read More
  • Debt burden hindered financial response: Argentina's historically rocky relationship with the IMF has hindered its ability to respond to the pandemic financially, as it must balance stabilization of its economy and responding to the needs of its citizens with the conditions of its debt restructuring agreement with the Fund. Read More
Compared with Other Western Hemisphere Countries
  • 49.7
    Brazil 7,700,578
    Cases     36,228
    Per 1M     195,411
    Deaths

    Brazil has a relatively weak score, primarily due to its poor public health policies, especially its very low levels of testing, coupled with President Bolsonaro’s spreading of misinformation about the virus.

  • 39.9
    Mexico 1,437,185
    Cases     11,147
    Per 1M     126,507
    Deaths

    Mexico's score has deteriorated over time, due primarily to its extremely weak financial response and relatively weak public health policy, including very limited testing.

  • 36.2
    United States 20,184,236
    Cases     60,979
    Per 1M     347,901
    Deaths

    Still battling widespread COVID-19 cases and deaths, which were exacerbated by the former administration's limited use of facts and science, limited emergency healthcare spending, and limited debt relief, the Biden administration, by contrast, is taking aggressive action to combat the virus, although it may take time for the score to reflect these changes.

  • 59.2
    Canada 585,400
    Cases     15,511
    Per 1M     15,644
    Deaths

    Canada has a relatively strong score, with poor public health policy countered by a continued reliance on fact-based communication.

Further Reading From Foreign Policy

Be the source of actionable insight.

Select one of the subscription options below to read the full Covid-19 Global Response Index. Unlock even more global intelligence with a subscription to FP Insider.

Already an FP Insider?

Best Value

One-Year All Access
FP Insider

$450

1-year of full access to FP Insider exclusive content and subscription benefits

See benefits  ▾

  • All FP Analytics Special Reports, including the COVID-19 Global Response Index
  • FP Analytics Power Maps
  • Editorial conference calls
  • Unlimited articles on ForeignPolicy.com
  • Digital and print editions of FP’s award-winning magazine
  • Print archive, containing 50 years of FP journalism
  • Subscriber-only newsletters
  • Security and defense news alerts
  • Bonus episodes of FP podcasts
  • FP mobile app

❌ Hide benefits

 

One-Month
COVID-19 Report Bundle

$150

30-day Access to the COVID-19 Global Response Index and Global Race to Vaccinate report

Looking for group access? Contact us directly

New Zealand

Statistics and government response factors available on each country profile include:

Pre-COVID Conditions:

  • Debt to GDP ratio
  • Infant mortality rates
  • Hospital beds per 1,000 people
  • Gini coefficients measuring inequality
  • Health access and quality

COVID-19 Public Health Directives:

  • Stay-at home orders
  • School-closing policy
  • Public-gathering restrictions
  • Cancellation of public events
  • Testing policy and rates per 1,000 people
  • Emergency healthcare spending per capita
  • Travel restrictions
  • Contact tracing

COVID-19 Financial Response:

  • Stimulus package as a share of GDP
  • Income support
  • Debt-forbearance

Public Communications:

  • Instances of misinformation by leadership
  • Limitations on press freedom, censorship

Current/Historic In-Country COVID-19 Status:

  • Death rates per 1 million
  • Case rates per 1 million