Rome: More than 5.7 million people in Italy were living in absolute poverty in 2024, with the overall rate remaining largely unchanged from the previous year, according to data released on Tuesday by the National Institute of Statistics (ISTAT).

The figure represents around 2.2 million households, or 8.4 per cent of Italy’s population of approximately 59 million. ISTAT defines absolute poverty as the condition in which a household’s income is insufficient to cover the minimum basket of goods and services required for an acceptable standard of living.

The data highlighted stark regional disparities. Southern Italy recorded the highest rate of poverty, with 10.5 per cent, or around 886,000 households, affected. The rate stood at 8.1 per cent in the northwest (595,000 households), 7.6 per cent in the northeast, and 6.5 per cent in central Italy, the lowest level nationwide (349,000 households).

While the incidence of absolute poverty remained stable across age groups, it rose to 13.8 per cent among those under 18, the highest level since 2014, ISTAT noted.

The report also pointed to a sharp divide between Italian citizens and foreign residents. Around 1.8 million foreign residents were living in absolute poverty in 2024, accounting for 35.6 per cent of the foreign population, nearly five times higher than the 7.4 per cent recorded among Italian citizens.

IANS