TO February 2025according to what is noted by Assoutenti on the basis of Istat data, Italian families have cut on average Up to 183 euros per year on food expenditure. A figure that might seem marginal at first sight, but which, read in the wider context of the economic and inflationary crisis, reveals a deeper phenomenon: renunciation of essential goodsThe change of habits of consumption and a progressive impoverishment masked by “adaptation to the market”.
Food spending falls: when the sales volume counts more than value
The drop in February 2025 of 0.4% in value of food salesreported by Assoutenti, could deceive those who stop at the surface of the numbers. In reality, it is the data on the volume of sales in the same month (a flex of 2.9%) on amount actually purchased to tell a more uncomfortable truth. This means that, net of inflation, Families buy less Food and less drinks, while spending more or less the same figure. The solosa figure speaks clearly: the difference is equivalent to 183 euros less per year, by family unit, dedicated to their food.
A not negligible reduction, which photographs the historical moment in which the real purchasing power of families is under pressure. The Price increases They do not concern only voluptuous or occasional assets: on the contrary, on very large consumption products, those that cannot be missing in any home are concentrated, such as pasta, bread, milk, oil, meat and vegetables.
Inflation and crisis of raw materials
But why do the prices rise a lot, and so quickly? The answer is not univocal, but two main causes impose themselves. The first is the Crisis of raw materialspartly still linked to post-plating logistics dysfunctions, and acute by new global shocks: international conflicts, the crisis of the Red Sea, the volatility of the energy and agricultural market.
The second is inflation structuralwhich for months has stood at much higher levels of the general average. In some sectors, two -digit increases are recorded: just think of vegetable oils, baked goods and white meat. In the face of stagnant wages, many families can only cut. And, often, the cut starts from Products considered “non -essential” – Sweets, snacks, carbonated drinks -, but it also comes more and more often to fundamental assets for a balanced diet.
Towards a “survival” diet?
The question is not only economic: it is also health and social. The progressive downsizing of food consumption can compromise the nutritional quality of diets family members, especially in nuclei with minors and elderly. There is a concrete risk that food inflation leads to a “survival” diet, low in fruit, fresh vegetables, animal proteins and quality products, in favor of cheaper foods, but often less healthy.
In the medium-long period, this trend risks generating hidden costs for the health system and to amplify socio-economic inequalities. Food, which should be a fundamental right, returns to being an indicator and multiplier of disparity.
It is easy, and too often ideological, to say that “Italians are changing habits”: in part it is true, but not always by conscious choice or for greater sustainability. In many cases, these are obligatory choices, a forced selection made at the supermarket case. Consumers who resort to discounts increase, Promotions, white brands and reduced packs. The habit of the weekly “Meal Planning” is growing, but not to optimize time or nutrition, but in order not to waste anything and contain costs.
The appeal of Assoutenti: policies are needed for “citizenship consumption”
According to Assoutenti, to mitigate the risks of decreasing consumption it would be necessary to guarantee Families in difficulty “Consumption of citizenship”, that is guaranteed access to essential goods and services Fundamental (water, light, gas, but also basic foods), like a universal right.
This is because the drop in consumption is not only a problem of families, but it is also one macroeconomic question. A weak internal question brakes growth, penalizes the retail trade, puts the agri -food supply chains under pressure and limits investments.
It is therefore not just about protecting the most fragile – which is already sufficient to justify the intervention – but to defend the hold of the entire national economic system. At a time when there is much talk of growth, PNRR, ecological transition and digital transformation, we cannot ignore the basic theme of daily spending.
