Census has released a new report that describes several aspects of the Italian population. From an economic perspective, the average citizen has become poorer over the past 20 years: Salaries have decreased by 7%a unique case in developed countries, where wages rise. Demographic decline is also causing a concentration of wealth through inheritance, which goes to many only children.
Other issues highlighted in the report are: Almost zero growth in GDPThis resulted in low wages, a decline in industry in favor of less productive sectors such as tourism, and the state’s difficulties in financing welfare, especially with regard to the pension system.
Italy’s economic problems in the Censis report
Like every year Census The private socio-economic research institute has published its “picture” of Italy, which contains a number of economic data on our country, most of which are negative. The report highlights a decline that has been ongoing for at least 20 years on multiple fronts and the ramifications of population dynamics.
The most worrying figure is that of wages. From 2003 to 2023 The average salary of an Italian fell by 7%. Over the past 10 years, however, between 2014 and 2024, per capita wealth has also declined by an average of 5.5 percent. An even more dire figure if we combine this with the Italian population decline, which has shrunk by 1.2 million people in a decade. Yet average assets have declined even faster.
Another reason among the figures reported by the census is the demographic crisis. Economic and social differences are increasing. Also due to heredity. The wealth accumulated by families over the last 30 years is slowly being lost in the hands of the children’s generation. This suggests that those who come from wealthy families are increasingly becoming wealthier, while those who have not had the opportunity to inherit assets see a widening gap with the wealthy.
Reasons behind problems reported by Censis
The report states that “the driving force towards increasing well-being has dissipated”. Italy is, in fact, declining towards poverty At least 30 years of running speed. Demographic decline is both an effect and a cause of this situation: the lack of professionals in every field, from the technical to the intellectual, reflects this vicious circle. Companies cannot find people to hire and produce less, which reduces wealth and consequently births.
The industrial crisis is another serious symptom of Italy’s situation. Half a million more jobs than in 2019 over 5 years, despite a general increase in employment Industrial production fell by 1.2 percentWith a serious acceleration in the last months of 2024. At the same time, tourism is growing, a sector that creates little added value, with low wages and minimal labor productivity.
Censis describes the situation with the expression “The floating syndrome“, the tendency to float without trying to follow the direction in which the rest of the world is moving. “Desperation, feeling of impotence, resentment, thirst for justice, desire for redemption, desire for revenge against an alleged offender” population. I am growing.
