Editing Economy of Italy (section)

==Poverty==
{{Main|Poverty in Italy}}
[[File:Homeless people @ Piazzale Lodi @ Milan (49623197518).jpg|thumb|Two rough sleepers in Milan]]

In 2015, poverty in Italy hit the highest levels in the previous 10 years. The level of absolute poverty for a two-person family was €1050.95/month. The poverty line per capita changed by region from €552.39/month to €819.13/month. The number of those in absolute poverty rose nearly an entire per cent in 2015, from 6.8% in 2014 to 7.6% in 2015.<ref name="Istat">{{cite web|title=Poverty in Italy|url=http://www.istat.it/en/files/2015/07/Poverty-in-Italy_2014.pdf?title=Poverty+in+Italy+-+15+Jul+2015+-+Full+text.pdf|website=[[National Institute of Statistics (Italy)|National Institute of Statistics]]|access-date=1 December 2016|archive-date=25 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160325014701/http://www.istat.it/en/files/2015/07/Poverty-in-Italy_2014.pdf?title=Poverty+in+Italy+-+15+Jul+2015+-+Full+text.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> In [[Southern Italy]] the numbers are even higher, with 10% living in absolute poverty, up from 9 per cent in 2014. [[Northern Italy]] is better off at 6.7%, but this is still an increase from 5.7% in 2014.<ref name="Istat"/>

The national statistics reporting agency, ISTAT, defines absolute poverty as those who can not buy goods and services which they need to survive. In 2015, the proportion of poor households in relative poverty also increased to 13.7 from 12.9 in 2014. ISTAT defines relative poverty as people whose disposable income is less than around half the national average. The unemployment rate in February 2016 remained at 11.7%, which has been the same for almost a year, but even having a job does not guarantee freedom from poverty.<ref name="Euro stat">{{cite web|title=Unemployment by sex and age – monthly average|url=http://appsso.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/nui/show.do?dataset=une_rt_m&lang=en|website=eurostat.ec|publisher=eurostat|access-date=2 December 2016|archive-date=9 August 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190809181818/https://appsso.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/nui/show.do?dataset=une_rt_m&lang=en|url-status=live}}</ref>

Those who have at least one family member employed still suffer from 6.1% to 11.7% poverty, the higher number being for those who have factory jobs. The numbers are even higher for the younger generations because their unemployment rate is over 40%. Also, children are hit hard. In 2014, 32% of those aged 0–17 were at risk of poverty or social exclusion, which is one child out of three. While in the north the poverty rate is about the same as that of France and Germany, in the south it is almost double that figure. In the last ISTAT report, poverty is in decline.<ref name="Europa, Cite 2">{{cite web|title=Italy: tackling child poverty and overcoming the crisis – European Platform for Investing in Children (EPIC) – European Union|url=http://europa.eu/epic/countries/italy/index_en.htm|website=europa.eu|publisher=Europa|access-date=2 December 2016|archive-date=18 June 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160618033933/http://europa.eu/epic/countries/italy/index_en.htm|url-status=live}}</ref>{{Update inline|date=December 2023|reason=Not updated since 2016}} According to the 2022 [[National Institute of Statistics (Italy)|ISTAT]] Poverty Report, 2.18 million households and 5.6 million people live in absolute poverty in Italy.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.istat.it/it/files//2023/10/REPORT-POVERTA-2022.pdf|title=Increasing absolute poverty due to inflation|language=it|access-date=27 October 2023|archive-date=25 October 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231025114741/https://www.istat.it/it/files//2023/10/REPORT-POVERTA-2022.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref>

According to [[Eurostat]], by 2023, 63% of Italian households will struggle to make ends meet, making it one of the European countries with the most widespread economic difficulties, surpassing [[France]], [[Poland]], [[Spain]] and [[Portugal]]. The European average is 45.5%.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www-ansa-it.translate.goog/sito/notizie/economia/2023/10/21/oltre-63-delle-famiglie-italiane-fatica-ad-arrivare-a-fine-mese_fea729ab-2939-4094-98e1-c8dc4017b406.html?_x_tr_sl=it&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=it&_x_tr_pto=wapp|title=Oltre il 63% delle famiglie italiane fatica ad arrivare a fine mese|date=October 21, 2023|language=it|trans-title=Over 63% of Italian families struggle to make ends meet. Eurostat, the European average is 45.5%|access-date=27 October 2023|archive-date=27 October 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231027065156/https://www-ansa-it.translate.goog/sito/notizie/economia/2023/10/21/oltre-63-delle-famiglie-italiane-fatica-ad-arrivare-a-fine-mese_fea729ab-2939-4094-98e1-c8dc4017b406.html?_x_tr_sl=it&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=it&_x_tr_pto=wapp|url-status=live}}</ref>

The average annual gross salary in Italy was €41,646 ($44,893) in 2022,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Redazione |date=2024-05-10 |title=Stipendio medio Italia: ultimi dati 2024, lordo e netto |url=https://www.partitaiva.it/stipendio-medio-italia/ |access-date=2024-05-14 |website=Partitaiva.it |language=it-IT}} - Note: This 2024 secondary source cites another source which cites OECD data from 2022, not 2024</ref> placing the country at the twenty-first position in the OECD area, with lower wages compared to the EU average. Many Italians still face significant challenges in meeting basic living expenses due to high living costs and regional economic disparities.