In 2019, the estimate of mean monthly consumption expenditure for households residing in Italy was 2,560 euros in current values, substantially unchanged to 2018 (-0.4%) and still far from 2011 levels (2,640 euros per month), followed by two years of strong shrinkage not recovered during the following years.
According to provisional estimates, excluding expenditure on food and housing, in the first quarter of 2020 mean monthly consumption expenditure decreased by more than 12% compared to the same quarter of the previous year, as a result of the health crisis.
The well-known territorial gaps were observed in 2019 as well. Their reasons are to be found in several economic and social factors (incomes, consumer prices, expenditure habits and behaviours).
As in the past, the highest expenditure levels were observed in the North west area (2,810 euros), in the North east (2,790) and in the Centre (2,754 euros); the lowest levels, in the Islands (2,071) and in the South (2,068 euros). In the North west, in absolute terms, household expenditure was on average about 740 euros higher than in the South and the Islands, that means almost 36% in relative terms.