Nearly 10% of Italy's population lives in "absolute poverty"

The number of people living in poverty in Italy rose to its highest level in a decade in 2023, despite an economic recovery following the easing of Covid-19 restrictions.

According to a VNA correspondent in Rome, the latest figures, released by the Italian National Statistics Agency (ISTAT) on March 26, show that the number of people living in "absolute poverty" in the country has increased to 5.75 million, equivalent to 9.8% of the population, up slightly from 9.7% in 2022 and the highest level since 2014.

Italy's economy has recovered more strongly from the COVID-19 pandemic-induced recession in 2020-2021 than its neighbours Germany and France, with employment rising, but the ISTAT report shows that the recovery has done little to help the poorest.

The absolute poverty rate in Italy was 9.1% in 2020 and 9.0% in 2021, at the height of the pandemic, when the impact of the economic downturn on families was partly offset by various government support measures.

Last year, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's government began phasing out the "citizen's income" subsidy aimed at reducing poverty, introduced in 2019.

The program, which ISTAT said lifted about 1 million families out of poverty in 2019, was scrapped earlier this year and replaced with a limited benefit aimed primarily at people unable to work.

Nationally, the absolute poverty rate in 2023 stood at 9.0% in the North, 8.0% in the Center and 12.1% in the South of Italy. However, ISTAT data also show that while poverty in 2023 increased in the North and Center compared to the previous year, it decreased in the South.

ISTAT defines absolute poverty as the state of people being unable to purchase the goods and services necessary for an "acceptable standard of living."

Except for a drop in 2019, the poverty rate has been steadily increasing since 6.9% in 2014, when ISTAT began compiling this data.