The cost of living for i single in Italy it is 40% higher than couples and can reach the +80% if you compare with an average family unit of three components. It detects it Coldiretti in a data processing Istat On the 8.8 million Italians who live alone: category that falls within the definition of “unipersonal family”, comprising not only unmarried and celibates, an audience of 3.6 million people, but also widows and widowers (3.1 million) and divorced and separated (2.1 million).
According to what emerges from the study of the Association, if the largest share of this maxi group is made up of individuals who are alone by choice, to suffer the greatest consequences are the older subjects. Who suffers the gap on the cost of living is the population of the population of the Over 65which in the category of unipersonal families has over 4.1 million people, against 2.8 million between 45 years and 65 and approximately 1.9 million under 45.
Coldiretti data on consumer habits
The analysis released by Coldiretti on the occasion of San Faustino, the day after Valentine’s Day, now became the feast dedicated to singles in the common imagination, examines the consumption habits of the unipersonal families And it compares them with couples and nuclei composed of three people.
The association first underlines the major costs of the singles to shop: they spend on average 337 euros per monthin the face of 266 euros of families by two people and 220 euros of those of three components.
According to the considerations of the experts, those who live alone would be more inclined to buy ready -made dishes Or to order them at home, rather than cooking, disincentive by the fact of not having to prepare for other people, or for the short time available in the absence of someone else with whom to divide the household chores.
The difference between what is spent for the Packaged dishes And, for example, the meat, compared to a couple: in the first case i single they spend 60% morein the second only a +18%.
The cost of rents and bills
Other emblematic voices of the distance on the cost of living between singles and other categories are the rents and billswhich added 60% more than couples and 156% if compared with the average per capita of a type of three people.
The numbers estimated by Coldiretti do not differ much from the calculations made by Moneyfarmon the basis of the ISTAT data updated to 2023: according to a recent analysis of the financial consultancy company, compared to couples, the single spend approximately 564 euros more per month.
In the event of a fair distribution, within a report the average monthly expenditure would be 1,408 euros each, against the 1,972 euros of average of those who live alonefrom a minimum of 1,825 euros for the over 65 to a maximum of 2,156 euros in the range between 35 and 64 years of age.
Singles pay the 65% more (+345 euros) for rent and utilities compared to couples who, trivially, can save because they do not need a large apartment with a large person to one person.
If, moreover, the furniture and other expenses for the home are added, the singles come to 949 euros per monthagainst 587 euros each in the nuclei by two people.
