More Italian families living in absolute poverty
Last year, 2.2 million Italian families, or 8.5 percent of the total number, were living in absolute poverty – according to Italy’s National Statistics Institute (ISTAT) data, RIA Novosti reports
In late 2022, there were 2.18 million such families, accounting for 8.3 percent.
The annual report of Italy’s main statistical office states that a total of 5.7 million Italians, or 9.8 percent of the population, fall into this category of Italian citizens. Despite the minimal increase since last year, this figure again set an absolute record for the last almost two decades.
“According to preliminary estimates, in 2023, families in absolute poverty will make up 8.5 percent of total resident households (against 8.3 percent in 2022), corresponding to about 5.7 million individuals (9.8 percent; almost stable with respect to the 9.7 percent share recorded in 2022),” the explanatory note to the ISTAT study reads.
Official statistics in Italy differentiate between ‘absolute’ and ‘relative’ poverty. Experts define ‘absolute poverty’ as a situation in which people cannot afford to buy basic goods and services ‘needed to achieve a minimum acceptable standard of living’.
According to the same calculations, the monthly expenses of the average family in Italy have increased by 3.9 percent over the years, to 2,728 Euros. In real terms, they dropped by 1.8 percent as a result of inflation, which rose by 5.9 percent year-on-year in the consumer price index. The statistics also take into account the dynamics of changes in family expenses since 2014 –which totalled 2,519 Euros per month on average across the country – as well as differences in income between Italian regions. For example, in the central regions of the country it will cost 2,953 Euros to support a family against 2,234 Euros in the southern regions.
