The income of Italian families continues to fall. This was revealed by Istat, which communicates that in 2012 household disposable income in current values decreased by 1,9%. The decline involved the entire peninsula to varying degrees: the South and Islands recorded the smallest decline (-1,6%), followed by the North-East (-1,8%), North-West and Center (-2 %). Among the regions, the heaviest drops are those of Valle d'Aosta and Liguria, -2,8%.
The disposable monetary income per inhabitant ranges from a maximum of around 20.300 euros in the North-East and North-West to a minimum of 13.200 Euros for the South, passing through 18.700 Euros in Central Italy. The national average, on the other hand, stands at 17.600 euros.
Again according to Istat data, in comparison with 2009, the year in which the crisis began, the disposable income of families in 2012 grew by 1%. The greatest increases (+1,6% and +1,7% respectively) were recorded in the North-West and North-East, while the Center (+0,4%) and the South (+0,2%) marked much smaller increases.
Among the regions, the hardest hit by the crisis was Liguria, where between 2009 and 2012 households recorded a drop in disposable income of 1,9%. Umbria (+3,6%) and the province of Bolzano (+2,7%), on the other hand, were the least affected areas.