In democratic elections since 1919, eleven of eighteen presidents of Peru were from Lima, even as many Peruvians in rural areas were not able to vote until 1979 when the constitution allowed illiterate individuals to vote.[148] Although economic statistics show improved economic data in Peru in recent decades, the wealth earned between 1990 and 2020 was not distributed throughout the country; living standards showed disparities between the more-developed capital city of Lima and similar coastal regions while rural provinces remained impoverished.[2][3][148] The COVID-19 pandemic exasperated these disparities even further.[100][148] Kahhat stated that "market reforms in Peru have yielded positive results in terms of reducing poverty ...