Are Italians satisfied with their lives? According to the “aspects of daily life” of Istat, Less than 1 in 2 Italians say he is really satisfied with his life. But there is an even more critical figure: less than 1 out of 4 believes that you can trust others, a figure down compared to 2023. Let’s see in this article what the perception of Italians is compared to their lives and well -being.
The lives of the Italians: what we are more satisfied and of what less
In 2024, only 46.3% of Italians felt very satisfied with their lives. A percentage not only low but also slightly decreasing compared to 2023. The positive increase that was seen in previous years, in short, stopped. In fact, more than a third of the population is only considered quite satisfied while over 12% openly admits that they are dissatisfied with it.
However, if we go down in detail, we discover that personal relationships make us happy: almost 9 out of 10 Italians declare themselves satisfied with the family relationshipsand about 8 out of 10 of friendships. Well too health and work, which collect the satisfaction of over three quarters of the population.
The painful notes come from leisure (one in three Italians would like to have more) and above all from economic situationwhich leaves 40% of Italians dissatisfied.
Who is more satisfied?
Age plays a key role: The most satisfied are the very young between 14 and 17 years old (60.8%), while with the advance of the years the percentage drops more and more, up to just 40% among the over 75. As the growth of the work and family relationships resists age, while we tend to find ourselves increasingly dissatisfied with health and friendships.
The work also makes the difference: Students and employed are the most satisfied, while those who are looking for a job effort much more to say satisfied. And then there is the gender difference: Men are slightly more satisfied than women (47.7% against 45%), But the waste becomes more evident when it comes to health.
Finally, geography also affects. The most satisfied people live in the North-East, where Trentino-Alto Adige stands out with 61.9% of very satisfied inhabitants. At the opposite extreme there is the South, where the average drops to 42.7% and Campania marks the lowest data of high satisfaction: just 37.6%.
However, there is a positive note: the gap between North and South is slowly reducing itself: if in 2017 it was over 12 percentage points, today it is under 5. Merit above all of the growth of satisfaction among the women employed in the South.
Economic resources and trust: the fragility of Italian well -being
About the satisfaction for economic conditions2024 brings a small breath of oxygen: in fact, the families who have received a worsening in the previous 12 months (from 33.9% to 29.5%) are decreased. But there is a downside, because the share of those who consider their resources has grown (from 32.8% to 33.8%). A sign that, although not worsening, many families continue to have economic difficulties.
The real Achille heel is however the trust in others. Less than 1 in 4 Italians believe that “most of the people are worthy of trusted”: a drop in over 2 points in just one year. Women are more wary of men: 77.3% think that you have to pay close attention to who to trust, against 73.5% of males.
What if we talk about concrete trust, for example of returning lost portfolio? The majority of Italians is convinced that the police would return it (84.6%) or a neighbor (75.3%). But if it is a perfect stranger, trust collapses at 15%.
The final picture that emerges from the Istat report is clear: The Italians find satisfaction especially in the closest ties but are fragile when it comes to economic resources and above all of trust towards others.
