As many as a third of Italians may be
unable to pay their utility bills by Christmas because of
soaring energy prices, Italy's Coop group said in its annual
report on Thursday.
The report said 57% of the people surveyed said they were having
trouble paying the rent, with 26% considering delaying or
stopping payments.
It said 68% of Italians had embarked on a 'spending review' and
another 17% plan to assess their spending in the autumn.
It said many citizens had already started a sort of self-imposed
austerity, both for major expenditure such as for a car or a new
home, and for everyday spending.
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