Italy: UNICEF says one in four children live below poverty line

UNICEF’s report “Opportunità disuguali – bambini e disuguaglianza economica” reveals that 23% of Italian children live in families whose income is below 60% of the national average, making one in four children effectively poor. Italy ranks 12th out of 37 European countries on overall child wellbeing, 10th for mental wellbeing, 17th for physical health and 25th for skills.

The study links higher economic inequality to worse health and education outcomes, noting that children in more unequal societies are 1.7 times more likely to be overweight and that wider income gaps correspond with lower school performance. UNICEF calls on governments to adopt policies to curb child poverty, improve nutrition and education, and reduce the impact of inequality on children’s lives.