Italian families have confronted
the financial crisis with a new "zero consumption" lifestyle,
Censis said Friday in a new report.
The Italian socio-economic research firm found that for the
second year in a row, overall household consumption in 2013 was
below levels in the early 2000s.
Censis' 48th report on the Italian social situation said
that 62% of respondents reduce meals outside home; 58% save by
cutting spending on movies and leisure; 44% reduce transport in
cars and motorcycles to avoid spending too much in gasoline; and
another 44% have modified eating habits to reduce spending.
Thinking about the future, 29% of Italians surveyed said
that they feel anxious due to the lack of a safety net; 29% are
worried by a fragile margin of financial safety; 24% say they do
not have clear idea of the future because everything is very
uncertain; and only slightly more than 17% say they feel safe
enough and have "their backs covered".
Italians also showed little faith in the ability to improve
their own condition compared to other countries.
Just 51% of respondents believed good education was
important for achieving success in life.
An even smaller percentage - 43% - thought hard work was
key.
A total of 29% indicated that having the right contacts was
important, compared to 19% in a similar survey conducted in the
United Kingdom.
Twenty percent of Italians thought it was critical to come
from a wealthy family to succeed compared to just 5% in France.
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