Usury was a business worth 82
billion euros in 2015 in Italy, European statistics institute
Eurispes said Wednesday in its annual report.
The institute said an estimated three million families were
usury victims last year.
It also reported that at least one in 10 companies
operating in the agricultural sector, in retail and services
were victims of loansharking - or 10% of Italy's 750,000
agricultural businesses and of the 3.3 million retail and
service enterprises.
Eurispes said crime syndicates, along with "individuals
above suspicion", have taken advantage of the economic crisis to
lend money with an average interest rate of 120% a year.
A reported 12% out of a total of 24.6 million families in
Italy asked for a private loan over the past two years because
they could not apply for a bank loan, Eurispes also said.
Crossing data on the phenomenon, the institute has estimated
that, although southern Italy and the islands are more at risk,
the most exposed city is currently Parma in the North, followed
by the southern cities of Crotone, Siracusa, Foggia, Trapani,
Vibo Valentia and Palermo.
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