The Italian National Institute of Statistics (Istat) has released key indicators on the living conditions of children under 16, based on the 2022 Annual Survey on Income and Living Conditions and a specific investigation conducted in 2021 within the same survey.
Child Poverty and Social Exclusion: In 2022, 28.8% of children and adolescents under 16 face the risk of poverty or social exclusion, compared to 24.4% of the total population. The Southern and Island regions show higher vulnerability at 46.6%, while the Central and Northern regions have lower rates at 21.4% and 18.3%, respectively.
Family Structure Impact: Significant differences exist between single-parent families (39.1%) and couples with minor children (27.2%). The risk reaches 41.3% in families with only a mother present and 27.6% for single-father households.
Impact of Foreign Citizenship: Minors with foreign citizenship face a higher risk of poverty or social exclusion at 41.5%, nearly 15 percentage points higher than their Italian counterparts (26.9%). Disparities are most pronounced in the South.
Housing Challenges: Families in the initial phase of the life cycle, with minor children, more often reside in mortgaged-owned homes (26.3%), double the national average. Families with at least one minor more frequently live in rented homes (23.8%).
Deprivation Indicators – 2021: In 2021, 13.5% of children under 16 experienced specific material and social deprivation, in line with the European average. Common items of deprivation include the inability to replace damaged furniture (88.6%), spend a week’s vacation away from home (81.3%), and engage in leisure activities outside the home (58.4%).
Food Deprivation – 2021: Around 4.9% of minors faced economic difficulties preventing the purchase of necessary food, rising to 7.0% in the Southern regions. Additionally, 2.5% of children did not consume at least one protein meal daily due to financial constraints.