According to a forecast from May 2025, the unemployment rate in Italy could reach 5.9 percent by the end of the year, 3.5 percentage points less than in 2021, when the COVID-19 outbreak had a disastrous impact on the labor market. The rate is then expected to remain stable in 2026. Weak employment situation Unemployment in Italy started increasing after the 2008 financial crisis and peaked at 12.7 percent in 2014. It mostly affected the young population. Similarly, the youth unemployment rate also increased significantly during the same period, reaching over 40 percent in 2014. Even if the figures decreased in the following years, in 2022 the rates were still particularly high in the southern regions. Indeed, the youth unemployment rate in the regions of Sicily and Campania stood at around 43 percent. COVID-19 impact on the economy The coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak had a serious impact on Italy’s economy. In June 2020, most Italian respondents declared that the coronavirus pandemic had impacted or would impact their personal incomes in the future. In addition, the fear of losing the job due to the pandemic has been increasing in the country, with more than half of respondents worrying about this in July 2020.

In Italy, the share of the population at risk of poverty stood at 14.5 percent in 2023. The southern regions and the islands were mostly at risk of poverty compared to the northern regions. Indeed. In Calabria and Apulia, around 30 percent of the population was at risk of poverty in 2023.

In Italy, the largest part of population who live below the poverty line is located in the South. As of 2021, in three Southern regions, Apulia, Campania, and Calabria over 20 percent of the population was living below the poverty line. An Italian household with four members is considered poor when it has an availability of less than about 1.7 thousand euros a month.

Italy - At Risk of Poverty rate: From 25 to 54 years was 18.30% in December of 2024, according to the EUROSTAT. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for Italy - At Risk of Poverty rate: From 25 to 54 years - last updated from the EUROSTAT on August of 2025. Historically, Italy - At Risk of Poverty rate: From 25 to 54 years reached a record high of 21.00% in December of 2016 and a record low of 17.70% in December of 2010.

Italy - At Risk of Poverty rate: Single person was 25.00% in December of 2024, according to the EUROSTAT. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for Italy - At Risk of Poverty rate: Single person - last updated from the EUROSTAT on August of 2025. Historically, Italy - At Risk of Poverty rate: Single person reached a record high of 26.00% in December of 2020 and a record low of 23.00% in December of 2014.

Italy poor individuals - region residence

Italy - At Risk of Poverty rate for pensioners: Females was 13.00% in December of 2024, according to the EUROSTAT. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for Italy - At Risk of Poverty rate for pensioners: Females - last updated from the EUROSTAT on July of 2025. Historically, Italy - At Risk of Poverty rate for pensioners: Females reached a record high of 14.10% in December of 2022 and a record low of 10.30% in December of 2014.

In 2023, an individual living in Italy with less than 726 euros per month was considered poor. Moreover, a two-member family and a household with four members needed respectively 1,210 euros and 1,970 euros monthly for remaining above the poverty threshold. In total, beyond two million families and 5.7 million individuals in Italy were living below the poverty line as of 2023.

Number of poor at $1.9 a day of Italy slumped by 10.00% from 1.0 million persons in 2016 to 0.9 million persons in 2017. Since the 71.43% surge in 2015, number of poor at $1.9 a day sank by 25.00% in 2017. Number of people, in millions, living on less than $1.90 a day at 2011 PPP is calculated by multiplying the poverty rate and the population. As a result of revisions in PPP exchange rates, poverty rates for individual countries cannot be compared with poverty rates reported in earlier editions.

Italy - At Risk of Poverty rate of older people was 17.60% in December of 2024, according to the EUROSTAT. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for Italy - At Risk of Poverty rate of older people - last updated from the EUROSTAT on July of 2025. Historically, Italy - At Risk of Poverty rate of older people reached a record high of 17.80% in December of 2022 and a record low of 14.20% in December of 2014.

IT: Poverty Gap at $6.85 a Day: 2017 PPP: % data was reported at 1.000 % in 2021. This records a decrease from the previous number of 1.200 % for 2020. IT: Poverty Gap at $6.85 a Day: 2017 PPP: % data is updated yearly, averaging 1.200 % from Dec 1977 (Median) to 2021, with 36 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 2.400 % in 2015 and a record low of 0.200 % in 1989. IT: Poverty Gap at $6.85 a Day: 2017 PPP: % data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Italy – Table IT.World Bank.WDI: Social: Poverty and Inequality. Poverty gap at $6.85 a day (2017 PPP) is the mean shortfall in income or consumption from the poverty line $6.85 a day (counting the nonpoor as having zero shortfall), expressed as a percentage of the poverty line. This measure reflects the depth of poverty as well as its incidence.;World Bank, Poverty and Inequality Platform. Data are based on primary household survey data obtained from government statistical agencies and World Bank country departments. Data for high-income economies are mostly from the Luxembourg Income Study database. For more information and methodology, please see http://pip.worldbank.org.;;The World Bank’s internationally comparable poverty monitoring database now draws on income or detailed consumption data from more than 2000 household surveys across 169 countries. See the Poverty and Inequality Platform (PIP) for details (www.pip.worldbank.org).

IT: Proportion of People Living Below 50 Percent Of Median Income: % data was reported at 15.300 % in 2021. This records a decrease from the previous number of 15.600 % for 2020. IT: Proportion of People Living Below 50 Percent Of Median Income: % data is updated yearly, averaging 14.050 % from Dec 1977 (Median) to 2021, with 36 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 16.200 % in 1993 and a record low of 9.700 % in 1982. IT: Proportion of People Living Below 50 Percent Of Median Income: % data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Italy – Table IT.World Bank.WDI: Social: Poverty and Inequality. The percentage of people in the population who live in households whose per capita income or consumption is below half of the median income or consumption per capita. The median is measured at 2017 Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) using the Poverty and Inequality Platform (http://www.pip.worldbank.org). For some countries, medians are not reported due to grouped and/or confidential data. The reference year is the year in which the underlying household survey data was collected. In cases for which the data collection period bridged two calendar years, the first year in which data were collected is reported.;World Bank, Poverty and Inequality Platform. Data are based on primary household survey data obtained from government statistical agencies and World Bank country departments. Data for high-income economies are mostly from the Luxembourg Income Study database. For more information and methodology, please see http://pip.worldbank.org.;;The World Bank’s internationally comparable poverty monitoring database now draws on income or detailed consumption data from more than 2000 household surveys across 169 countries. See the Poverty and Inequality Platform (PIP) for details (www.pip.worldbank.org).

Italy IT: Poverty Headcount Ratio at $1.90 a Day: 2011 PPP: % of Population data was reported at 1.200 % in 2014. This records a decrease from the previous number of 1.400 % for 2013. Italy IT: Poverty Headcount Ratio at $1.90 a Day: 2011 PPP: % of Population data is updated yearly, averaging 0.850 % from Dec 2003 (Median) to 2014, with 12 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 1.400 % in 2013 and a record low of 0.700 % in 2008. Italy IT: Poverty Headcount Ratio at $1.90 a Day: 2011 PPP: % of Population data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Italy – Table IT.World Bank: Poverty. Poverty headcount ratio at $1.90 a day is the percentage of the population living on less than $1.90 a day at 2011 international prices. As a result of revisions in PPP exchange rates, poverty rates for individual countries cannot be compared with poverty rates reported in earlier editions.; ; World Bank, Development Research Group. Data are based on primary household survey data obtained from government statistical agencies and World Bank country departments. Data for high-income economies are from the Luxembourg Income Study database. For more information and methodology, please see PovcalNet (http://iresearch.worldbank.org/PovcalNet/index.htm).; ; The World Bank’s internationally comparable poverty monitoring database now draws on income or detailed consumption data from more than one thousand six hundred household surveys across 164 countries in six regions and 25 other high income countries (industrialized economies). While income distribution data are published for all countries with data available, poverty data are published for low- and middle-income countries and countries eligible to receive loans from the World Bank (such as Chile) and recently graduated countries (such as Estonia) only. The aggregated numbers for low- and middle-income countries correspond to the totals of 6 regions in PovcalNet, which include low- and middle-income countries and countries eligible to receive loans from the World Bank (such as Chile) and recently graduated countries (such as Estonia). See PovcalNet (http://iresearch.worldbank.org/PovcalNet/WhatIsNew.aspx) for definitions of geographical regions and industrialized countries.

In 2023, the share of people in Italy at risk of poverty amounted to 19 percent of the total population. This figure declined by one percentage point compared to the previous year, mainly due to energy costs subsidies, changes in taxation, and family allowances.

Poverty gap at $1.9 a day of Italy slumped by 8.33% from 1.2 % in 2016 to 1.1 % in 2017. Since the 55.56% surge in 2015, poverty gap at $1.9 a day sank by 21.43% in 2017. Poverty gap at $1.90 a day (2011 PPP) is the mean shortfall in income or consumption from the poverty line $1.90 a day (counting the nonpoor as having zero shortfall), expressed as a percentage of the poverty line. This measure reflects the depth of poverty as well as its incidence. As a result of revisions in PPP exchange rates, poverty rates for individual countries cannot be compared with poverty rates reported in earlier editions.

Italy IT: Poverty Gap at $5.50 a Day: 2011 PPP: % data was reported at 1.600 % in 2014. This records a decrease from the previous number of 1.800 % for 2013. Italy IT: Poverty Gap at $5.50 a Day: 2011 PPP: % data is updated yearly, averaging 1.050 % from Dec 2003 (Median) to 2014, with 12 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 1.800 % in 2013 and a record low of 0.900 % in 2008. Italy IT: Poverty Gap at $5.50 a Day: 2011 PPP: % data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Italy – Table IT.World Bank: Poverty. Poverty gap at $5.50 a day (2011 PPP) is the mean shortfall in income or consumption from the poverty line $5.50 a day (counting the nonpoor as having zero shortfall), expressed as a percentage of the poverty line. This measure reflects the depth of poverty as well as its incidence.; ; World Bank, Development Research Group. Data are based on primary household survey data obtained from government statistical agencies and World Bank country departments. Data for high-income economies are from the Luxembourg Income Study database. For more information and methodology, please see PovcalNet (http://iresearch.worldbank.org/PovcalNet/index.htm).; ; The World Bank’s internationally comparable poverty monitoring database now draws on income or detailed consumption data from more than one thousand six hundred household surveys across 164 countries in six regions and 25 other high income countries (industrialized economies). While income distribution data are published for all countries with data available, poverty data are published for low- and middle-income countries and countries eligible to receive loans from the World Bank (such as Chile) and recently graduated countries (such as Estonia) only. The aggregated numbers for low- and middle-income countries correspond to the totals of 6 regions in PovcalNet, which include low- and middle-income countries and countries eligible to receive loans from the World Bank (such as Chile) and recently graduated countries (such as Estonia). See PovcalNet (http://iresearch.worldbank.org/PovcalNet/WhatIsNew.aspx) for definitions of geographical regions and industrialized countries.

Italy IT: Increase in Poverty Gap at $3.10: Poverty Line Due To Out-of-Pocket Health Care Expenditure: 2011 PPP: USD data was reported at 0.000 USD in 2010. Italy IT: Increase in Poverty Gap at $3.10: Poverty Line Due To Out-of-Pocket Health Care Expenditure: 2011 PPP: USD data is updated yearly, averaging 0.000 USD from Dec 2010 (Median) to 2010, with 1 observations. Italy IT: Increase in Poverty Gap at $3.10: Poverty Line Due To Out-of-Pocket Health Care Expenditure: 2011 PPP: USD data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Italy – Table IT.World Bank: Poverty. Increase in poverty gap at $3.10 ($ 2011 PPP) poverty line due to out-of-pocket health care expenditure, expressed in US dollars (2011 PPP); ; Wagstaff et al. Progress on Impoverishing Health Spending: Results for 122 Countries. A Retrospective Observational Study, Lancet Global Health 2017.; Weighted average;

Poverty gap at $5.5 a day of Italy slumped by 10.00% from 2.0 % in 2016 to 1.8 % in 2017. Since the 43.75% surge in 2015, poverty gap at $5.5 a day sank by 21.74% in 2017. Poverty gap at $5.50 a day (2011 PPP) is the mean shortfall in income or consumption from the poverty line $5.50 a day (counting the nonpoor as having zero shortfall), expressed as a percentage of the poverty line. This measure reflects the depth of poverty as well as its incidence.

Between 2014 and 2023, the incidence rate of absolute poverty in Italy increased, in particular between 2019 and 2020. In 2023, the poverty rate for females rose to 9.7 percent, whereas the percentage of males living in absolute poverty was 9.8 percent.

Between 2014 and 2023, the number of families and people living below the poverty line in Italy grew. In 2023, more than 2.2 million families were living impoverished, 30,000 families more compared to the previous year. The number of poor individuals was 5.7 million, 20,000 more than in 2022. COVID-19 significantly impacted on Italians' economic and financial situation, as in 2020 more than one million new citizens and 333,000 new families fell below the poverty line compared to 2019.