On 5 March 2021, ISTAT (Italian National Institute of Statistics) released preliminary estimates of absolute poverty for the year 2020 along with preliminary estimates of household consumption expenditures that form the information base for the absolute poverty indicators (read the report in Italian here). The final estimates will be made available on June 2021. The data are therefore subject to revisions, but they offer a clear picture of the consequences that the severe economic crisis produced by the pandemic and the health emergency has determined on the living conditions of families in 2020.
Giovanni Bruno, President of Banco Alimentare declared: “ISTAT data on poverty are alarming and this trend unfortunately confirms what we are witnessing every day and that does not seem destined to improve in the short term. In 2020 we distributed 100,000 tons of food, 30% more than in 2019, and it is clear the need expressed daily by the charitable organisations accredited with us, which help an increasing number of people in need.
The fact that absolute poverty returns to grow unfortunately does not surprise us: in all these years the situation has never definitely improved and it was now clear that the pandemic would have dramatic implications. Requests for support are increasing day by day, involving more and more categories of people. It’s a very difficult moment that we can face only with the awareness that this crisis affects us all. It is important to continue to keep the attention focused on the poverty emergency and to support all those people who daily try to cope with it by feeding solidarity.“
Key facts:
- 335,000 more families in absolute poverty than in 2019
- The households with one employed reference person are the most affected
- In the North poverty grows more, but in the South it remains the highest
- Household consumption expenditure falls to a record low in 2020
To read the full article (in Italian) click here.
