|
Last year, about 5.6 million people, or 9.4% of the population,
lived in absolute poverty, defined as those unable to buy goods
and services essential to achieve "a minimally acceptable
standard of living", national statistics bureau ISTAT said.
It compared to 4.6 million people, or 7.7% of the population, in
2019, and was the worst reading since comparable records began
in 2005.
In terms of families, slightly more than two million households
were mired in absolute poverty last year - 7.7% of the total, up
from 6.4% in 2019. In the poorer south, 9.4% of families lived
in severe poverty, while in the north, the figure stood at 7.6%.
Italy's economy shrank by 8.9% in 2020, its steepest post-war
recession, with lockdowns aimed at slowing the spread of the
coronavirus slamming businesses.
The number of people in absolute poverty included 1.3 million
minors - 13.5% of all Italy's under-18s, up from 11.4% in 2019.
The worst-hit group were foreigners, with 29.3% of registered
migrants - some 1.5 million people - living in extreme poverty
against 7.5% for those with Italian nationality.
However, the number of Italians living in "relative poverty" -
those whose disposable income is less than around half the
national average - fell to 13.5% of the population last year
from a previous 14.7%.
ISTAT said the decline was due to a sharp fall in household
spending across the board, which influenced the calculus.
(Reporting by Crispian Balmer; Editing by Mark Heinrich)
[© 2021 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.] Copyright 2021 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Thompson Reuters is solely responsible for this content.
|
|
