CREMONA (ITALPRESS) – How are Italians financially and what is the feeling for next year? 24% of Italians claim to be worse than last year, a value that, after the peak of 46% in 2022, has fluctuated over time with relatively small percentages (from 33% of January 2024 to 27% of November 2024). However, the percentage of those who believe that the economic situation has remained equal, today at 66%, a signal that expresses the consolidation of prudent but not alarmistic expectations. The same remains, compared to a year ago, the share of those who claim to be better that is 11% of Italians. It emerges therefore from these first data of the detection of the continuous monitor of EngageMinds Hub – Consumer, Food & Health Research Center, Research Centre in psychology of consumption and health of the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, seat of Cremona, the image of a Country that does not feel a decline, but not even a advance on the personal economic plane. The positive signals are perceived only by a minority of people, while most tend to read their condition as stable, more for lack of concrete improvements than for a worsening of the economic condition. By deepening the analysis of the sample it also emerges that the “optimists” are more present in some specific profiles.
Among the young 18-34 years, the share of those who say they are better reaches 18%, well over 11% of the total. Values above the average also emerge among those who report a high psychosocial well-being (14%) and among people with high levels of satisfaction for their lives and control over it (both 14%).
“These groups – says Guendalina Graffigna, director of the Research Centre EngageMinds HUB of the Catholic University and scientific director of the survey – seem to have personal and motivational resources that allow it to grasp and interpret signs of improvement with greater ease than the general population. Their most positive perception suggests that financial optimism does not only depend on objective economic factors, but also on psychological elements, such as the ability to project into the future, confidence in their own possibilities and greater resilience in the face of uncertainties. In other words, the perceived economic well-being comes from the encounter between material conditions and personal attitudes that, together, contribute to creating a more constructive reading of their situation.”.
Looking at the next year, the expectations on family finances remain marked by caution: 62% of Italians think that their economic situation will remain equal, 22% believe that it will worsen further, while 16% of Italians expect to stay better. Curious to note that optimists also focus on the future among the young 18-34 years, where the share of those who expect to stay better rises to 30%, almost twice the average. Values above the average also emerge among people with high psychosocial well-being (21%) and among those who show a strong sense of control over their lives (21%). These profiles suggest that the expectation of improvement is more frequent among those who live a positive personal moment and feel that they have solid internal resources or see the future with a more focused attitude to proposition.
What do Italians think about the economic situation of our country in the last year? The judgment remains clearly oriented to pessimism with more than half of the Italians (the 57%) who believes that the situation has worsened than last year (the 32% of 2024). This growth seems to be at the expense of those who value the situation as equal: the share falls from 58% of 2024 to 32% of 2025. On the other hand, the share of Italians remains substantially stable at 11%, which perceives an improvement in the economy.
The idea that the Italian economy is improving remains minority, but emerges more frequently in some groups than the general average (11%): among those who express confidence in the institutions the share of optimists rises to 25% and among those who have a high level of psychosocial well-being the perception of advancement of the economy reaches 17%. The idea of an economy that grows is also more present among men and over 55, both with a 15% share, as well as among those who express a high satisfaction for their lives (15%). In these groups being in a personal positive phase for resources, security or stability is more often accompanied by a less pessimistic reading of the national economy. Continuing in the analogues from the report was asked to Italians how the economy will go in next year: 52% believes that it will go “so and so”, 40% think that it will go wrong and only 8% has a positive idea. Among the most optimistic people we find those who have confidence in institutions (2%), over 55 who have a high psychosocial well-being and express a high satisfaction for their lives (12%).
And still the percentage of Italians who in the future believes more likely an increase in unemployment and an economic crisis is 54%, down compared to 2022, when it had reached a peak of 65%, but still on high levels, confirming a climate of widespread uncertainty that continues to affect the economic prospects of the country. 38% instead believes that “things will stay as it is now” and only 9% have an optimistic vision that will see Italy enjoy a period of well-being in the next 5 years. The optimists are few in general, but they are more in some specific segments: among those who have confidence in the institutions the share rises to 22% (well beyond 9% observed in the total) and for people from 55 years up optimism reaches 13%
“The picture that emerges therefore gives us a widespread feeling of caution, if not of real pessimism, which accompanies the way in which the Italians look to the economy of the country – says Guendalina Graffigna -. The increase of those who perceive a worsening signals a growing effort in recognizing signs of stability or recovery, while the reduced share of optimists reflects a climate of uncertainty that is also projected on expectations for the future. In this context, trust in institutions is a key factor: it does not eliminate concerns, but it contributes to contain the perception of decline and to keep open the possibility of a less alarming look on the economic evolution of the country”.
The report closes with an assessment of whether or not to buy expensive goods for the house (furniture, refrigerator, TV, etc…), a choice that remains prudent. Most respondents, i.e. 59%, have an intermediate position (neither favorable or unfavorable to purchase), 28% is unfavorable (vs 44% in 2022) while 13% is in favour of important purchases for the house.
– Photo of repertoire IPA Agency –
(ITALPRESS).
