Why are so many Italians poor?

Answer 1

Italians tend to be poor because of a lack of educationand upward mobility. Generally, individuals more or less do what their parents did. It's difficult for the situation to change, in many ways because of the educational system.

Specifically, Italian schooling before the university level is demanding. Impoverished children can't afford the expense and time to get good grades. Often, they don't have access to supplementary resources that are nevertheless vital to doing well in school. Additionally, early on, Italian students make choices about where their schooling is going to lead them. Someone who's going to college very early on starts taking different courses than someone who's going to drop out and do an apprenticeship.

Additionally, the socio-economic structure is somewhat static. Small scale farmers tend to work the worst soil and/or not own their own land. Absentee landlordism is high, in rural areas and in the big cities. It's difficult to do more than survive, if even that, when most if not all of the profits go to paying absentee landlords.

Answer 2

There are various reasons why many Italians are poor, including high unemployment rates, a lack of economic opportunities, particularly in the south of Italy, and challenges in the Italian economy due to factors such as high public debt and slow economic growth. Additionally, issues such as corruption, a high cost of living, and an aging population can also contribute to poverty in Italy.