Italian welfare is largely "home-made" and subtracts important resources from consumption. In a context of marked growth in the incidence of the over 65s on the Italian population (today they are 22%), the elderly provide family services for around 385 euros monthly, but they come in turn assisted in 77% of cases by relatives. This is what emerges from the twenty-second edition of the Findomestic Observatory, presented today in Milan.
According to the study, the average amount per nucleus dedicated to the care of parents and grandparents is 689 per month. When assistance is entrusted to professionals, Italian families mainly turn to carers, who in 73% of cases are foreigners.
As regards the demographic trend and its implications, the Observatory found that in the last 40 years the over 65s have more than doubled: while in 1971 they were 6 million, now they are 13 million, representing 21,7% of the population; according to projections in 2050 they will be 33%. In the imagination of 67% of Italians, this trend implies that there will be difficulties in paying everyone's pensions, that there will be a society that will spend more on social assistance and public health and will be less productive.
34% of Italian families have an elderly person who needs daily or partial assistance. In 77% of cases, relatives take care of it above all: children in 50% of situations, then carers (21%), spouse (16%), other relatives (14%), or the rest home (13%). ).
In this exchange economy, however, the elderly also play an active role since 31% of Italians over 65 lend a hand in the family to children and grandchildren. More specifically, 71% look after their grandchildren, while 31% help their children directly. It is therefore wrong, according to Astrofinance, to consider the elderly as a factor in the absorption of economic resources and a burden. In fact, they are at the same time a precious resource: for almost one in five families they represent an important aid (19%).
In 12% of families, the over 65s play a double role: even if they need assistance, they perform an important support function for the nucleus, in 19% of cases they help without needing any form of special attention and in 22% of cases they need "a hand", but are unable to reciprocate.
These dynamics subtract resources from the consumption, which however are currently continuing the recovery begun in 2014: this year the car, motorcycle, furniture, household appliances, home comfort and telephony markets are growing thanks also to the good performance of wearable connection devices. The improvement in consumer confidence and the increase in purchasing power fueled by low inflation have supported the recovery of Italian household spending, which in 2015 led to an increase in total consumption estimated in the order of 1,0, 7,0%, with the durable goods sector once again featuring the liveliest dynamics (+XNUMX%).
Attachments: Consumption Observatory_2016.pptx
