2022
This year’s Poverty Watch Report gives an update on the meaning of poverty in light of Covid-19; on the energy crisis that began in 2021 and was doubly aggravated by the war between Russia and Ukraine which exploded again on February 24, 2022.
The Poverty Watch 2022 is the result of a careful analysis of the reports on the state of the country (Censis, Istat, Caritas, Fiopsd, Cittadinanza Attiva), on listening to people in poverty (see chapter 7 with the interviews on direct experiences) and on the activities that the organizations belonging to the network experience on a daily basis
2021
In Italy absolute poverty is distinguished from relative poverty. The absolute poverty threshold represents the monetary value, at current prices, of the basket of goods and services considered essential for each family. It varies according to the age of the members, the geographical distribution and the type of municipality of residence. A family is absolutely poor if it incurs a monthly consumption expenditure equal or less than this monetary value. For example, in 2020, for a person aged 18-64 living in a metropolitan area of Central Italy, the absolute poverty threshold is 761.02 euros.
Poverty Watch Main Findings
Most Affected Groups
Families
Young people
Migrants
People living in the South of Italy
Women
Early education leavers
Main Priorities
- Overcoming the contradictions between access to rights and awareness of their exercise through better and qualified information.
- Consider the Social Service as the territorial system of reference for assistance of citizens in conditions of poverty and social exclusion.
- Acknowledge the contribution of the third sector and the voluntary sector, which tackle situations of poverty with efficiency and effectiveness.
- Strengthen vertical subsidiarity, through governance agreements between territorial actors who have signed pacts for local and sustainable development.
- Implement horizontal subsidiarity by promoting partnership between the third sector, trade unions and local institutions for the construction of intervention plans able to respond to the local needs.
- Evaluate measures to fight poverty every three years from their inception.
2020
Prior to the outbreak of the pandemic, almost 1.7 million families were living in absolute poverty. For the first time after four years, the share of families in absolute poverty is reduced, however, it still remains at levels significantly higher than those before the economic crisis. As the pandemic hit extremely hard in Italy, these numbers will likely have been increased.
Poverty Watch Main Findings
Most affected groups
Women
Young people
People living in ‘less developed regions’
Main priorities
- Mitigation of the social impact of containment measures on loneliness and isolation, also through support for non-profit organizations, at the forefront of the care of vulnerable people and the provision of services
- Minimum adequate income!
- A coordinated action at European level for the protection of the health of the most vulnerable
Protection of workers through adequate income for all, including financial support where needed
Aid to people in poverty: suspension of rent or mortgage payments, support for the payment of bills
Contact details
CILAP/EAPN Italia
00185, Roma (Italy)
Tel: +39 064 470 22 99
E-mail: info (@) cilap.eu
Website: www.cilap.eu
