Families increasingly in debt and artisans and shopkeepers at risk of usury. A critical situation at the moment, but still under control. The difficult relationship of Italians with credit is denounced by a study by Cgia which estimates that on December 31, 2022 the average amount of debt per family in Italy had risen to 22,710 euros. A global stock of bank debts, held by all Italian families, which stood at a record level of 595.1 billion euros and increased by 3.5% compared to 2021. A scenario, this one, which for Cgia may hide another risk: the resurgence of usury to which families and merchants could be exposed. “Although the number of reports of this crime to the police has been decreasing for some time, it cannot be excluded that the increase in family debts leads more than one person to resort to usurers who have always been more available than anyone else to help those who are in need. lack of liquidity, especially in the most difficult economic times. Everyone knows that usury is a karst phenomenon: anyone who has fallen into the net of moneylenders hardly ever turns to the police”, explain Mestre’s artisans. In fact, the data leave little room for optimism.
The families most in the “red” are located in the province of Milan, with an average debt of 35,342 euros (+5.1% compared to 2021); in second place are those from Monza-Brianza, with 31,984 euros (+3%) and in third place are residents of Bolzano, with 31,483 euros (+5%). Just behind the podium are Piazza Roma, with an average debt of 30,851 euros (+2.8%) and those of Como, with 30,276 euros (+3.8%). Among the less exposed, however, large areas of the South, as proof, the CGIA explains, of how “the increase in debts is partly attributable to the strong economic recovery that took place in the 2021-2022 biennium”. The most economically exposed provincial areas, in fact, continues the Report, “are also those with higher income levels even though, in these realities, among those indebted there are also nuclei belonging to the weakest social groups”.
Families residing in the province of Agrigento, in fact, have an average debt of 10,302 euros (+3%) and those of Vibo Valentia, with 9,993 euros (+1.9%). But the least indebted families in Italy are found in Enna, with a “red” equal to 9,631 euros (+3.6%). Finally, also in 2022, the province of Italy that suffered the most significant growth variation in household debt was Ravenna (+9.1%), while the only one that suffered a contraction was Vercelli (-2.3%). “With the progressive slowdown of the economy and the consequent collapse of bank loans to companies in recent months, it cannot be ruled out that there is an ongoing ‘approximation’ of criminal organizations to family micro-enterprises: such as artisans, shopkeepers and many VAT numbers», it also reflects the CGIA, a true social alarm.
Source: IL Tempo
Roy Brown is a renowned economist and author at The Nation View. He has a deep understanding of the global economy and its intricacies. He writes about a wide range of economic topics, including monetary policy, fiscal policy, international trade, and labor markets.
