Overview

• In 2024, 26.7% of Italian children under 16—about 2 million—faced poverty or social exclusion.
• The incidence peaks at 43.6% for minors residing in southern regions and islands compared with much lower rates in the North.
• Foreign children share a 43.6% risk level, more than 20 percentage points above their Italian peers.
• Children with parents limited to lower secondary education face a 51.8% poverty risk versus 10.3% for those with a university-educated parent.
• Families with minors carry heavier housing burdens, with 22.7% paying a mortgage and 23.6% paying rent, both above national averages.