Over 1.8 families in poverty in Italy in 2018 - ISTAT

(ANSA) - Rome, June 18 - ISTAT said Tuesday that it estimates that 1.8 million households were living in absolute poverty in Italy in 2018, 7% of the total. The national statistics agency said these families were made up of around five million people, 8.4% of the population. ISTAT said the number and proportion of families living in absolutely poverty was flat with respect to 2017, ending three years of consecutive rises. But it also said that this still left it at the highest level since 2005. The agency said that over three million families (11.8%) were living in relative poverty for a total of almost nine million people (15%). ISTAT said the proportion of families in southern Italy living in absolutely poverty was 10%.
    This compared to 5.8% of families in northern Italy and 5.3% in central regions.
    It said 1.26 million minors were living in absolute poverty, 12.6% of the total. Photo: Italian singer Elio helps out at a soup kitchen for the poor.