Istat: 5.7 million people in absolute poverty, mostly foreigners
The incidence of absolute poverty among households with at least one foreigner is 30.4 per cent, rising to 35.2 per cent in households composed only of foreigners, and falling to 6.2 per cent for households composed only of Italians
Key points
ISTAT estimates that in 2024 there will be more than 2.2 million households in absolute poverty - 8.4 per cent of resident households - for a total of 5.7 million individuals, 9.8 per cent of residents. In its annual survey on poverty in Italy, ISTAT also points out that these percentages are stable compared to 2023, when they were 8.4 and 9.7 per cent respectively.
Highest poverty among foreigners
The incidence of absolute poverty among households with at least one foreigner is 30.4% and rises to 35.2% in households composed exclusively of foreigners, while it drops to 6.2% for households composed only of Italians. Finally, the incidence of relative poverty among households, at 10.9%, is also substantially stable compared to 2023 (it was 10.6%), involving more than 2.8 million households.
Highest incidence in the South
According to ISTAT data, the incidence of households in absolute poverty remains highest in the South (where it involves more than 886 thousand households, 10.5%), followed by the North-West (595 thousand households, 8.1%) and the North-East (almost 395 thousand households, 7.6%), while the Centre confirms the lowest values (349 thousand households, 6.5%). On the other hand, among the absolutely poor households, 39.8% reside in the South (38.7% in 2023) and 44.5% in the North (45% in 2023); the remaining 15.7% reside in the Centre (16.2% in 2023). Absolute poverty is also stable at an individual level with the only exception of the Islands where there is a significant increase, reaching 13.4% from 11.9% in 2023.
The distribution among municipalities
Interpolating the poverty data with those relating to the urban size of population centres, it emerges that in small municipalities (up to 50,000 inhabitants) that are not peripheral to metropolitan areas, the incidence of absolute poverty is highest (8.9%); followed by municipalities with more than 50,000 inhabitants and the periphery of metropolitan areas) (8.0%) and, finally, the central municipalities of metropolitan areas (7.8%). However, in the South and in the North, it is the central municipalities of metropolitan areas that record the highest values (12.5% and 8.2% respectively), while in the Centre, the incidence is highest in the smallest municipalities that are not peripheral to metropolitan areas (7.9%).
