Acri-Ipsos report: 46% of households save, but 63% of Italians do not invest
These are some of the most relevant elements to emerge from the survey 'Italians and Savings: 1924-2024: one hundred years of savings culture' conducted by Acri and Ipsos in view of the 100th savings day to be held on 31 October in the presence of the President of the Republic, Giorgio Mattarella
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Key points
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Almost half of Italian households manage to save (46 per cent in 2024 compared to 48 per cent in 2023) but do so with less anxiety and concern than in the past. 33 per cent of Italians, however, perceive that they have a lower savings capacity than previous generations due to current macroeconomic conditions, in particular the rising cost of living (70 per cent) and contemporary working conditions (60 per cent), and due to changes in lifestyles (60 per cent). In 2024, the level of openness to investing contracted slightly compared to 2023: 34% said they would invest some of their savings compared to 36% in 2023. The propensity to spend money or to keep it available in a current account remains more or less stable, with 63% of Italians (it was 62% in 2023 and 63% in 2022).
These are some of the most relevant elements that emerge from the survey 'Italians and Savings: 1924-2024: one hundred years of savings culture' conducted by Acri and Ipsos in view of the 100th savings day to be held on 31 October in the presence of the President of the Republic, Sergio Mattarella.
Savings of Italians, only 16% stay in the country
49% say they feel better, falling inflation improves living standards
The Acri-Ipsos study, conducted on a sample of respondents, shows an improvement in the standard of living of households, which is now higher than pre-pandemic levels (49% of households reporting an improved or easier standard of living compared to 44% in 2018). "This is the result of the decline from 2023 of households experiencing severe economic hardship and the growth of households reporting an improvement," the paper states. Those satisfied with their economic situation thus rise from 56% to 64%. The analysis confirms a trend that has already emerged in past years: there is a majority of the country that, being in the habit of saving and modulating its spending according to the economic cycle, manages to be better off or at least contain the negative effects of price increases (49%), thanks also to the fall in energy costs and interest rates
17% of households barely survive: 5.7 million poor
This is flanked by a minority (17% of Italian households) that cannot get out of a situation of survival or poverty, even when working, and feel increasingly at risk, having no resources to draw on, or expenses to reduce. For several years now, the number of individuals in poverty has stood at 5.7 million, (just under 1 in 10 Italians) and poverty is rising among those in work "an effect perhaps linked to inflation, which has hit those who had no possibility of revising their purchasing basket and contractual conditions the hardest" it is noted. The number of working poor households is rising slightly from 15 per cent in 2023 to 17 per cent in 2024. These are people who are partly unable to find the desired job, or who have experienced a deterioration in their working conditions.
