A serious issue linked to poverty among households is the high number of children living in poor economic conditions. Among OECD countries, Italy ranks ninth in terms of proportion of children living in poverty. In fact, children aged up to 17 years old made up the largest share of population in Italy living below the poverty line. Similarly, 30.6 percent of children were living at risk of poverty or social exclusion, which means that a large share of infants in Italy live in low-income households. People are considered to be at risk of poverty when they have an income equal or lower than 60 percent of the median equivalized income. Indeed, unemployed individuals are more frequently those living in absolute poverty.
Even when households do not live in severe poverty, various material deprivations might affect them. Larger households more often have to renounce on some goods or activities which are considered essential for a decent life, according to national standards. For instance, roughly 55 percent of households in Italy with five or more members cannot afford to go on holidays for a week per year. Furthermore, large households might more frequently not be able to heat their houses adequately or cannot afford to eat fish or meat several times a week. Nevertheless, such difficulties are faced also by small families or by individuals living alone. For instance, approximately half of one-person households in Italy cannot afford holidays, while 12 percent of them cannot buy meat or fish on a regular basis.
