The report on Poverty and Social Exclusion in Italy, published Monday on the daily La Repubblica´s website and other news media, indicates that poverty climbed over average in at least four-people families during 2020-2021 period.

Poverty ratings are inversely proportional to age, as percentage of absolute poor in fact stands at 14.2% among minors, with nearly 1.4 million children.

Among young people aged 18 to 34 years, it´s 11.4%; among 35- to 64-year-olds it is 11.1%, while among those over 65 it is only 5.3%, according to the analysis, based on data collected in 2,800 centers nationwide.

In view of such a situation, Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, president of the Italian Episcopal Conference, pointed out that “nearly six million people are in absolute poverty” and also added that to fight off this scourge “much solidarity and rapid responses will be required”.

Zuppi said that “we are not talking about forecasts but about data. This report cannot make us go on as before,” and added that “the energy crisis and cost increases will accentuate the cases of extreme poverty, so we must be even firmer in finding a solution.”

pll/oda/ort