Istat: Italy's well-being improves, but 5.4 million live in absolute poverty

A mixed picture nationally

Istat presented the 13th edition of its Bes (Benessere equo e sostenibile, or equitable and sustainable well-being) report in Rome on Monday, 26 October. Of the 132 indicators that can be compared with the previous year, 54 improved, 55 held steady and 23 worsened. Over the longer term the picture is more positive: 70 of 133 indicators improved, 24 worsened, and 39 showed no clear trend. The report finds Italy strongest in health and safety, while education and training, employment and work-life balance, and innovation, research and creativity remain weak spots.

Improved54

Stable55

Worsened23

Improved

54 indicators

Stable

55 indicators

Worsened

23 indicators

Data from the article text

Poverty and incomes

More than 5.4 million Italians were in absolute poverty in 2025, and families in absolute poverty made up 8.0% of resident households, covering 9.3% of residents. The condition of large families and of families with at least one minor child remains harder, according to the report. Italy's risk of poverty or social exclusion stood at 22.6% of residents in 2025, against 20.9% across the European Union, which places the country 21st of 27 member states. A separate at-risk-of-poverty rate of 18.6% is 2.3 percentage points above the EU average, as ANSA reported from the same report. Average disposable income per capita rose 2.4% in current terms over 2024, following a 3% gain the year before, and real incomes rose 2.2% over the two years combined.

North-South divide

The gap between the Centre-North and the Mezzogiorno persists across most domains. Absolute poverty among individuals was 11.5% in the South in 2025, down from 12.5% in 2024, compared with 8.5% in the North (8.8% in 2024) and 7.4% in the Centre (7.6% in 2024). Only 7.5% of people nationally reported great difficulty making ends meet, but the share reached 12.3% in the South, while the Centre recorded 4.7%, a figure that worsened from the previous year.

South 202412.5%

South 202511.5%

North 20248.8%

North 20258.5%

Centre 20247.6%

Centre 20257.4%

South 2024

12.5 %

South 2025

11.5 %

North 2024

8.8 %

North 2025

8.5 %

Centre 2024

7.6 %

Centre 2025

7.4 %

Data from the article text

Friuli-Venezia Giulia and the two autonomous provinces of Trento and Bolzano exceed the national average in at least 10 of the 12 well-being domains. Campania, Puglia and Calabria fall below it in at least 10 of the 12. Every region in the North and Centre, with the exception of Lazio, records above-average results on at least half of the regional indicators, while most indicators in the South sit below the national level, with Abruzzo as the exception. Abruzzo and Sardinia often track the national average, while Valle d'Aosta and Liguria lag on innovation and research.

Health, safety and employment

Life expectancy in Italy reached 83.7 years in 2025, the highest level recorded, up 0.2 years from 2024 and from 82.6 years in 2014. Men lived to 81.7 years on average and women to 85.7. On safety, several southern regions, except Campania, perform better than the national average, while large Centre-North metropolitan areas, starting with Lazio, face a higher incidence of some property crime and violence. Istat also places the employment rate 8.5 percentage points below the EU average, with the gap especially wide for women.