Talking about the economy means dealing with a fragile equilibrium. Consumption, employment and inequalities are not separate issues, but parts of a system that has important repercussions on the daily lives of families.
The most recent numbers show a reality that proceeds at different speeds, where purchasing power is reduced and territorial and social differences remain profound.
Two thirds of spending goes on essential needs
Looking at consumption, the first striking fact is the composition. According to Istat, in Italy around 66% of family spending is allocated to essential goods, such as food, housing and transport. A very high altitude, which leaves little room for everything else.
It’s not just a question of habits, but of economic margins. When most of your income goes to cover basic expenses, it becomes difficult to plan or simply spend money on rest.
Over time this dynamic has accentuated. Housing expenses, including rent, bills and energy, have grown to exceed more than a third of overall spending. A structural change that has progressively reduced the space for other consumption and made family budgets more rigid.
North-South divide: lower incomes and widespread fragility
If we move from the consumption level to the income level, the territorial gaps also clearly emerge. In 2024, disposable income in the Centre-North will be around 25,900 euros per capita, while in the South it will stop at around 17,800, more than 30% less. An imbalance that is reflected in spending capacity. Families in the South consume less and concentrate a greater share of their budget on essential goods, a sign of lower economic resilience.
Data on poverty help to better understand the phenomenon. In Italy, 8.4% of families live in absolute poverty, while 23.1% of the population is at risk of poverty or social exclusion. A condition that becomes even more critical among young people: the risk rises to 26.7% among minors and reaches 43.6% in the South and on the Islands.
Employment: growing but not enough
Work remains the real hub of the entire system. In recent years there have been signs of improvement, but the picture remains weak compared to European standards.
The employment rate reached around 62.7%, one of the highest levels in recent years, but still insufficient to support widespread growth. At the same time, the inactivity rate remains high, around 33.6%, indicating a substantial part of the population outside the labor market.
The problem is not only quantitative, but also geographical. In the South, employment levels remain significantly lower, contributing to fueling the economic gap between the areas of the country.
Female employment: the real critical point
Within the labor market, the most critical data concerns women. The female employment rate stands at around 56.5%, compared to 76% for men.
Over the last twenty years the gap has narrowed from 24.6 to 17.8 percentage points, but it still remains among the highest in Europe. And, once again, the territory makes the difference: in the South the gap exceeds 24 percentage points, with female employment rates that in some areas remain below 40%.
This isn’t just an equity issue. It is a factor that directly affects family income and the overall growth of the country.
Inflation affects those who have less the most
Adding to the picture is inflation. In recent years, the increase in prices has mainly affected energy and food, i.e. the items that weigh most heavily on family budgets.
Those with lower incomes inevitably allocate a greater share of spending to these goods. The result is that the real impact of inflation is stronger precisely on those with less economic margin, further widening inequalities.
An increasingly divided economic system
By putting these elements together, a clear picture emerges: Italy is a country in which differences resist and tend to consolidate.
On the one hand there are families who still manage to maintain a certain spending and saving capacity. On the other, a growing share of the population that allocates up to two thirds of its income to primary needs, with increasingly narrow margins.
The issue always remains the same: work, income and opportunities. Without a structural strengthening of employment – especially for women and in the South – and without policies capable of supporting purchasing power, the risk is that of an increasingly divided country, where growth fails to become truly inclusive.
