Over the last thirteen years the wealth of Italian familiesand followed a significantly weaker trajectory compliance to that of the main economies of the EurozoneBetween December 2012 and June 2025 the overall increase was 20,6%, a figure that pales in comparison with the +45,1% recorded in France and, above all, with the +108,2% in Germany. In the same period the the Eurozone average stood at 66,2%. Taking into account theinflation, equal to a currency revaluation index of 1,22, the picture worsens further: for Italian families the balance is negative, with a loss of approximately 2% in real terms.
This is what emerges from theanalysis of the Fiba Foundation di First Cisl on ECB data relating to distributed wealth.
The European confrontation is getting tougher and tougher
In 2025 total net wealth of Italian families amounts to 10.991,5 billion euros, equal to 16,6% of that of the Euro area, in sharp decline compared to 22,9% in 2012. Also on the frontdebt The pace is shorter. Italian household debt represents approximately 10,1% of the euro area total and grew by 13,3% in the period under consideration, compared to the European average of +27,9%, the German average of +39,5%, and the French average of +52,6%.
The overtaking of France and Germany also emerges when looking at the raverage wealth per familyIf at the end of 2012 the Italian one was higher, by mid-2025 it will drop to 438,7 thousand euros, below the 442,2 thousand of French families and the 461,6 thousand of German ones.
Record inequality and the end of the savers' myth
Slow growth is accompanied by a ever-increasing concentration of wealthBy mid-2025, the bottom 50% of the population will own just 7,4% of total wealth, the bottom 60% will hold no more than 12%, while the richest 10% will control 59,9%. The data for the richest 5% is even more striking, as they alone hold 49,4% of total wealth, the highest level among major European countries. In this context, one of the most deeply rooted clichés also falls into place: that of Italians are a people of saversEurostat data indicate that in June 2025 the gross savings rate of Italian families It is at 12,3%, well below the Eurozone average (15,4%) and far from the levels of Germany (19,2%) and France (18,7%).
Colombani: "Innovative policies are needed to reverse the trend."
According to the national general secretary of First Cisl, Riccardo Colombani, the picture that emerges is clear and worrying. “The data on household wealth clearly show that Italy is a country where inequalities are becoming increasingly widerFurthermore, the gap with other major continental economies is becoming increasingly worrying. Innovative policies are needed to combine increased competitiveness in the country with significant growth in family wealth, placing the crucial objective of reducing inequalities at the center."
Colombani indicates in the participation of workers in the management of companies and in channeling savings towards the real economy, two decisive levers. "In short, an innovative and radical approach is needed to reverse the trend. If, however, inaction prevails, or if less than courageous initiatives are taken, we will see further growth in inequality and consequent social disintegration.
