Calabria, Campania and Sicily: Italy hosts all of the EU’s continental poverty regions

Brussels – Italy, a member of the G7, stands out as having the highest poverty risk rate in continental Europe. Such is the case, whether one likes it or not. According to Eurostat, this is indeed the case. The snapshot taken by the European statistics institute of the territories with the highest level of economic difficulty leaves no room for doubt: Calabria (37.2 percent of the resident population), Campania (35.5 percent), and Sicily (35.3 percent) at the end of 2024 were the EU regions with the highest index of people and families at risk of poverty. Worse than the Italian regions are only the French overseas department of French Guiana (53.3 percent) and Melilla (41.4 percent), and the Spanish autonomous community on the coast of Morocco.

The data show a deterioration of the situation in Calabria. The number of people at risk of poverty at the end of 2024 (37.2 percent of the resident population) is still lower than in 2023 (40.6 percent). Nevertheless, it is the second-highest index of the decade, reflecting a poverty that has increased from 2014 onwards. The case is different for Campania and Sicily, where the situation has improved over the past 10 years, with a downward trend. 

The risk of poverty is a set of situations that certify the economic difficulties of a person or a family, and Eurostat lists them to better understand, in concrete terms, the scope and dimensions of a phenomenon that is quite present in Italy. The specific problem that makes Calabria, Campania, and Sicily a less than virtuous example at the EU level includes the inability to face unforeseen expenses, not being able to afford to pay for a week’s annual holiday away from home, the inability to pay the costs (mortgage or rent, bills), and the inability to replace worn-out furniture. For single people, the indicator instead reflects their ability to afford an internet subscription, buy new clothes, or regularly take part in recreational activities.