Overview
- Lima reclaimed first place after Tuesday's INCORE 2026 release showed it tied with Moquegua at 7.5 points while Arequipa, Tacna and Ica followed in the top five.
- The national average rose modestly from 5.3 to 5.5, signaling small across-the-board improvements but persistent gaps between coast, highlands and Amazon regions.
- Apurímac and Pasco posted the largest decade-long advances driven largely by mining activity, with Apurímac moving from 19th to 12th and cutting poverty from 38% to 21%.
- The IPE flagged institutional weaknesses that threaten investment, noting criminality in Lima ran about 28% above the national average and only 34% of its police stations are in good condition.
- The report warns a likely moderate-to-strong El Niño could rapidly damage school and basic infrastructure and undo recent gains, and it urges stronger subnational governance to turn short-term booms into lasting development.