Italy's regional welfare reports show rising care needs and poverty

The 23rd edition of the Veneto statistical report, presented on 9 July, highlights a demographic shift toward an older population. It notes that 28 % of Italians over 65 experience serious functional limitations and that families are becoming smaller, putting pressure on informal care. Experts call for a proactive, preventive approach that includes sport, which they say generates €4.7 of social and economic value for each euro invested.

In Suzzara, the Caritas "Luigi Sbravati" Listening Centre recorded 662 assistance cases in 2025, a slight decline in total contacts but a sharper drop in new entries (123). The centre served people from 37 nationalities, with Italians representing 29 % of new cases, followed by Morocco (18 %) and Ghana (13 %). Services provided included 478 clothing distributions, 125 food parcels, 61 hot meals, 58 furniture items, showers, pharmacy aid and employment guidance. The data illustrate that poverty in the area is multi‑dimensional, often involving family problems, addictions, housing instability and mental‑health issues.