Istat, families with children increasingly at risk of poverty – The Republic

the ROME – families with children are increasingly at risk of poverty and social exclusion. The rate rises to 48.3% of couples with three or more children, compared to 39.4% last year and reached 51.2 per cent if they are minors. While the general remains stable at 28.7%, but with strong regional differences, ranging from 46.4% in the south to the 24% at the Center (in both cases, this percentage increase) to 17.4% (as in slight decrease compared to the 2014). Also corresponds to 17 million 469 thousand people at risk of poverty and social exclusion, well beyond the parameter of 12 million 882 thousand established by Europe 2020.

The average income in Italy is of 29.472 euro, and the good news is that in 2014, finally returns to stable stable, by stopping a fall in the act from 2009, which has resulted in a total reduction of approximately 12% of the purchasing power. But half of the families does not go beyond the 24.190 euro, while in the South it descends to 20,000 euros. The distribution is extremely unequal: measuring inequality by the Gini coefficient, in Italy, the value is equal to 0,324, above the european average of 0,310. “In the ranking of Eu Countries Italy – stresses the Istat – occupies the sixteenth position with the United Kingdom”. Among the Countries with inequality greater in Cyprus (0,336), Portugal (0,340), Greece (0,342) and Spain (0,346).

If instead the value of the inequality through the direct comparison of income, the richest 20% of Italian households perceive the 39.3% of the total incomes, while the poorest 20% had perceive 6.7%. A situation that has worsened in the years of crisis: in the period 2009-2014, the decline in real income was much stronger for the families of the first the fifth, the one with the lowest income, the income equivalent medium, inclusive of rents imputed, decreased by 13%, compared with an average reduction of 9.0%. As a result there was an increase in inequality, with the income of the richest families past, from 4.6 to 4.9 times the income of the poorest families. 36.8% of poor families live between the South and Islands compared to 14.8% of those who live in the Centre and 11.1% of the families of the North. To the opposite positions itself in the fifth richest family of four in the North and Centre compared to 7.8% of those living in the south.

But what does it mean “at risk of poverty and social exclusion”? It’s nine parameters, from which comes out a condition of “severe material deprivation”, where the individuals or families to be considered as falling into at least four of these conditions. They are, in detail, to be in arrears with the payment of your bills, the monthly payment of a mortgage or a loan, not being able to adequately heat the home, not being able to support unforeseen expenditure of 800 euros, is not able to afford a meal protein at least once every two days, not being able to even afford a week’s annual holiday outside the home, not being able to afford a color television, is not able to afford a washing machine, not being able to afford a car and not being able to afford a phone. Among the various parameters, there is a worsening of the unexpected expenses and the payment of arrears of utility bills, mortgages and loans, while improving the other.

in Addition to the inequality, aggravate the conditions of the “working poor”, i.e. of workers, “low-income”. Has very title of the study: the high level of education is systematically associated with a location of the family in the upper part of income distribution”: the four families out of 10, if the earner is a primary graduate, belong to the fifth richest in the income distribution.