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Italy’s poor triple in a decade

Italians living below the level of absolute poverty almost tripled over the last decade, hitting 4.7 million in 2016, up from 1.7m in 2006, as the country went through a double-dip, record-long recession

2006: 1.66m poor people

2016: 4.74 million. Slow growth since 2014 has done little to help poorest sectors of society

Italians living in “relative poverty” – those whose disposable income is less than around half national average – also rose in 2016, to 8.5 million, or 14.0% of population

National statistics bureau (ISTAT) defines absolute poverty as condition of those unable to buy goods and services “essential to avoid grave forms of social exclusion”

ABSOLUTE POVERTY RATE (%)
2006 07 08 09 2010 11 12 13 14 15 2016
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
2.9 3.1 3.6 3.9 4.2 4.4 5.9 7.3 6.8 7.6 7.9

Source: ISTAT 
Picture: Getty Images 
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