In 2019, most of Italians assumed to belong to the middle class. More specifically, 52 percent of individuals defined their social status as middle class. Moreover, 37 percent of Italians stated to be part of the lower social class. Data for social class perception suggested that the occupation with the highest share of upper-class people was being a student. At the same time, freelance professional was most popular job position among middle class citizens, while the majority of unemployed people felt to belong to the lower class.

How much do Italians earn on average?

From 2006 to 2015, gross household disposable income per capita in Italy was fluctuating with no precise pattern. In the next three years, however, gross income per capita steadily increased until peaking above 31 thousand U.S. dollars in 2018. This figure put Italy at the 17th place in the ranking of OECD countries with the gross disposable income per household.

Income inequalities in Italy

National average figures can be quite misleading. In Italy, substantial economic differences across regions and also due to gender can be observed. Inhabitants of the South and the Islands earn on average around ten thousand euros less annually than Italians from the North East. Moreover, female households’ average net income in 2017 was eight thousand euros smaller than male households’ income.

In 2023, inflation severely impacted on Italians belonging to the lower middle-class and to the working class. Almost half of the lower middle-class members reduced spending on shopping, energy and leisure. The majority of the underclass individuals more evidently adopted new purchasing practices. More than 70 percent of the citizens diminished unnecessary shopping and limited energy consumption, while, surprisingly, 60 percent of them curtailed grocery shopping. This latter measure impacted on only 40 percent of the lower-middle class and 15 percent of the middle-class. Hence, Italians with some economic resources preferred not cutting spending on groceries, and only the poorest resorted to this choice. However, two out of five members of the middle-class had to reduce general shopping and electricity consumption.

High earners in Italy were more likely to be car-sharing users than people in lower income brackets in 2023. The third of earners with the highest incomes made up half of all car-sharing users. Meanwhile, earners in the middle and lower third of income each constituted a quarter of car-sharing users.

The average number of pupils per class in Italian middle schools reduced between 2012 and 2022. In the school year 2021/2022, there were on average 20.2 pupils per class enrolled in middle school.

26 percent of the Italian lower class is thinking of reducing the expenditure in food and beverages in 2021. 21 percent of individuals from households of the central regions planned the same, while the middle class seemed the least concerned, with only 13 percent of respondents willing to reduce their spending in food and beverages.

Since 2005, the gross minimum wage per hour in France has been gradually increasing. In July 2005, the gross minimum wage per hour in France amounted to 8.03 euros. Nineteen years later the hourly minimum wage increased by more than three euros, reaching 11.88 euros in November 2024. In 2023, France had an average annual wage higher than countries like Spain and Italy, but lower than those in Germany or Belgium. Minimum wage is increasing For years now, wages in France have been increasing progressively. In 2013, the gross minimum wage per month in France was 1,430.22 euros, compared to 1766.92 euros in 2024. Thus, the average annual wage in France has risen since the beginning of the 2000s, despite the 2008 financial crisis. The issue of purchasing power In recent years, purchasing power has become one of the most worrying issues for households in France. In 2024, a large part of the French perceived their purchasing power as decreasing, while six years before it had become one of the main causes of the Yellow Vests protests in the country. Studies have shown that the purchasing power in the country reached its lowest level between 2010 and 2014. Household expenditure doubled since 1990, while 52.4 percent of French middle-income households stated having difficulties making ends meet in 2017.