According to Istat, in 2024 average spending remains stable at 2,755 euros per month, but purchasing power is decreasing, the North-South gap is growing and singles are the most affected
Italy has not stopped spending, but has had to learn to spend less. In 2024, Italian families spent an average of 2,755 euros per month. Practically the same figure as in 2023 when the euros were 2,738. The photograph taken by Istat speaks of a country that spends as much as a year ago, but gives up something: one family in three (31.1%) has reduced the quantity or quality of food purchaseda sign that purchasing power continues to erode despite the slowdown in inflation. Furthermore, the North-South gap is widening and singles pay a higher price.
Stable spending in Italy in 2024 but declining purchasing power: one in three families cuts food
The slowdown in food price increases (+2.5% compared to +10.2% in 2023) was not enough to restore breathing space to family budgets. Many Italians have continued to “economy” on daily spending, choosing cheaper products or reducing purchases of certain foods. Only some items remain growing, such as oils and fats (+11.7%) and fruit (+2.7%). According to Codacons, the picture outlined by Istat confirms that “Italians continue to cut spending, even on primary goods”. Compared to 2019, in fact, average spending increased by only 7.6%, while prices increased by 18.5%: essentially, you spend more but buy less. On the housing front, rents and mortgages continue to weigh heavily. 18% of families live in rent with an average rent of 423 euros per month, which rises to 450 euros in the North and drops below 400 in the South. Those with a mortgage (19.5% of homeowner families) pay on average 581 euros per month, with peaks of 618 euros in metropolitan centres. The most sacrificed item remains clothing and footwear, cut by 47.5% of families, with peaks above 57% in the South. However, expenses for essential consumption such as healthcare, fuel and personal care remain stable.
Rich North, thrifty South and singles and wealthy families more penalized by inflation
The Italy of 2024 is increasingly divided in two. The average monthly expenditure of families in the North-East reaches 3,032 euros, compared to 2,199 euros in the South, a difference of 37.9%. Families in the North spend more on restaurants, travel and culture, while in the South a larger portion of the budget is absorbed by food and bills. At a regional level, the spending records are held by Trentino-Alto Adige (3,584 euros) and Lombardy (3,162 euros), while Calabria (2,075 euros) and Puglia (2,000 euros) remain at the bottom of the ranking. In Bolzano, a family spends almost double that of one in Puglia: 3,990 euros versus 1,999. And those who live in big cities spend an average of 2,999 euros per month, compared to 2,638 euros in small municipalities with under 50,000 inhabitants. Family composition also plays a role. In 2024, singles spent 1,932 euros per month, equal to 68% of the spending of couples and 58% of that of families with three members. Some expenses, such as rent or utilities, weigh more on the wallet of those who live alone, while they become more sustainable in larger households. The distribution of expenditure items is also interesting: for a single person, the house and utilities absorb 43.9% of the budget, compared to just 28.6% in large families.
Istat also reports that in 2024 inflation weighed more heavily on wealthy families than on those with low incomes: +1.6% for the richest fifth versus +0.1% for the poorest. The reason lies in the different composition of consumption: wealthy families spend more on services, whose inflation has remained more sustained, while energy price increases, which affect low incomes more, have eased.
