In Italy, more than 5 million people live in absolute poverty in 2017, the highest figure since current records began in 2005, Official Data showed on Tuesday.
In percentage terms, 8.4 per cent of the population did not have enough to go by, up from 7.9 per cent in 2016, national statistics office Istat said.
Poverty rates were particularly high in Italy’s deprived southern regions, among the young and among non-Italians. Istat said 34.5 per cent of households made up of foreigners classified as poor.
Economic dissatisfaction was a key factor behind the success of the populist League and Five Star Movement (M5S) parties in March general elections.
League leader and interior minister Matteo Salvini, known for his anti-migrant rhetoric, said Istat’s data confirmed the need to implement his campaign pledge to put “Italians first.’’
Meanwhile, M5S leader and economic development minister Luigi Di Maio wrote on Facebook that his party’s flagship policy of introducing basic income subsidies for the poor “must start immediately.’’
Italy suffered a record double-dip recession between 2008 and 2014, and since then its economic recovery has been fairly weak.
In 2007, absolute poverty affected less than 2.5 million people. (dpa/NAN)