Istat publishes this Focus on Pensioners’ Living Conditions to disseminate richer information about pension beneficiaries, integrating three different statistical sources: the administrative archive ‘Pensioners Central Register’; the Statistics on Income and Living Conditions (Eu-Silc) and the Labour Force Survey.
In 2016 pensioners were 16.1 million, around 115 thousand fewer if compared to 2015; each of them received an annual average income of 17,580 euros (257 euros more than the previous year). Women represented 52.7% of pensioners and received an average pension income 6 thousand lower of that received by man.
Gender gap in pensions’ annual average amount remained extremely marked, but it was decreasing (for old age pension men’s advantage decreased from 72.6% in 2005 to 62.1% in 2016), while geographical gap was on the rise: North-East regions pensions’ annual average amount exceeded that of South and Island by 18.2% (vs 8.8%
in 1983).
Over two thirds (67.4%) of survivor pension beneficiaries received more than one pension; they were mainly women (86.6%). Old age pensioners less frequently received more than one pension (27.9%).
In 2016 pensioners who continued to work numbered 436 thousand, down from 2011 (-15.5%). Over three quarters of pensioners were men. 85.8% of employed pensioners were self-employed; 65.1% lived in the northern regions of Italy; 54.0% held at most a lower secondary school certificate.
In 2015, the average pensions (net of tax) of Italian resident beneficiaries (aged 16+) was estimated at around 14,310 euros (up 4% from 2014).