In 2024 23.1% of the population is at risk of poverty or social exclusion (in 2023 it was 22.8%), that is, it is found in at least one of the following three conditions: at risk of poverty, in severe material deprivation and social apprehends a low intensity of work. Istat notes this in the report ‘Life and income of families, 2023-2024’ in which he explains that for measure inequality in income distribution It is possible to order individuals with a lowest equivalent income to the highest one, classifying them in five groups (fifth). The first fifth includes 20% of individuals with the lowest equivalent income, the last fifth 20% of individuals with higher income. The relationship between the total equivalent income received from the last fifth and the one received from the first fifth (report known as S80/S20) provides a synthetic measure of inequality.
If you refer to the distribution of income equivalent nets without figurative rents, in 2023, the S80/S20 indicator is equal to 5.5, slightly worsening compared to 2022 (when it was equal to 5.3), but below the pre-pandemic value of 2019 (5.7). If the figurative rents are included, the report in 2023 stands at 4.8 (it was 4.7 in 2022), reaching 5 in the South (it was 4.7 in 2022).
Il level of inequality Instead, it is lower than the national average data in the North-West (4.4), albeit worsening compared to 2022 (when it was 4.1), and in the center (4.5) where it remains substantially stable compared to 2022 (4.4); In the north-east the level of inequality remains stable and lower than the national average (3.7, while in 2022 it was 3.8). The Nord-ovest presents the Inclusive medium family income of the highest figurative rentals between the four macro geographical divisions (47,429 euros against an average national value of 42,715 euros) and the greater growth in nominal terms compared to 2022 (when it was 44,564 euros).
In the South the level of average family income inclusive of figurative rentals is the lowest (34,972 euros), despite the strong increase compared to the previous year (it was 33,140 euros in 2022), followed by the Center (44.001 euros of 42,742 euros in 2022) and the North-East, where the average family income inclusive of figurative rentals is decidedly higher than the national average value and growing compared to 2022 (47,279 euros from 46,933 of 2022). One of the measures mainly used in the European context to evaluate the inequality between the income of individuals is the concentration index of Gini.
If calculated on net income without figurative components and in nature (harmonized definition at European level), in 2023, the estimated value for Italy is equal to 0.323, worsening compared to the previous year (when it was 0.315).
The concentration index of Gini calculated for the south and islands (0.339) is significantly higher than the national average data. Center (0.314) and above all North-West (0.303) e Northeast (0.276) instead have a markedly lower value.
Between 2022 and 2023, Gini’s concentration index measures a slight increase in inequality between income in the North-West (0.303 from 0.295 of 2022) and in the center (0.314 from 0.305 in 2022) and a wider increase in the South (0.339 from 0.321 in 2022). The North-East is the only geographical distribution where there is a slight improvement compared to 2022 (the Gini concentration index is equal to 0.276 from 0.282 in 2022).