Italian families’ fears and worries about the future and the country’s recovery prospects are growing: 76 per cent are very worried or at least believe it is necessary to pay close attention. The greatest anxieties are for the prospects of the national economy, for their savings and investments. But, surprisingly, the idea that the PNRR opportunity may be missed worries more than the workplace. More than one in 4 Italians know what the Recovery and Resilience Plan is and the important role it can play for green and infrastructure development. Many believe that the state and public administration will be increasingly important in accelerating the country’s recovery. On the other hand, the share of those who are worried about their standard of living after retirement is increasing.
These are some of the aspects that emerge from the Acri-Ipsos survey conducted on the occasion of the 98th World Savings Day which will be celebrated on Monday 31 October in Rome in the presence of the president of Acri Francesco Profumo, the president of Abi Antonio Patuelli, the governor of the Bank of Italy. ‘Italy, Ignazio Visco, and, for the first time in the role of Minister of Economy, by Giancarlo Giorgetti.
The working situation does not worsen but the standard of living decreases
The research entitled “The value of savings in the era of uncertainty” shows that in the course of 2022 the breath of optimism of 2021, linked to the prospects of recovery, was lost, making fears and concerns prevail both for the present and for the near future. The study shows a growing economic difficulty for many families, accompanied by a more marked dissatisfaction: compared to 6% who are very satisfied with the economic situation, 17% believe they are not at all, an increase of 6 points percentages in 2021. The worsening of expectations is linked to inflation, but also and above all to concerns for the future.
Families affected by an unfavorable working situation have remained unchanged overall, even if in the meantime the standard of living has worsened by 19% (compared to 10% in 2021), 38% experienced difficulties, while those who experienced a improvement are only 7%, about half compared to 2021.
The propensity for liquidity remains high
In this context, how do families behave with their savings? Spending the available money or keeping it on the current account is the solution towards which 63% of Italians lean towards (it was 61% in 2021; a figure that has remained constant since 2001, the year in which the survey began). If two thirds of Italians favor liquidity – even if the propensity to keep money in the current account is slightly reduced – the investments perceived as safe such as mutual funds or policies resume a little share and resume purchases of BTp, bonds and postal savings products also thanks to the rise in interest rates. An ideal investment product is missing, even if the brick always remains a safe anchor.