The day after Valentine's Day
in Italy is dedicated to St. Faustino, patron saint of single
people, and for the occasion on Monday farmers' association
Coldiretti said life for Italy's 7.7 million singles costs on
average 64% more than for those who are coupled up.
Coldiretti used data from Italian statistics bureau Istat
to compare average spending for the typical Italian family to
that of singles, who account for 1.9 million people under age 45
in Italy.
That number jumps to 7.7 million when adding in the
additional 2.1 million singles between ages 45-65 and the 3.7
million over age 65.
Coldiretti said average spending on food and beverages for
a single person is 274 euros per month, 45% higher than the 190
euro equivalent for an average household of 2.3 people, and
singles spend 98% more than families on housing costs.
Living in poverty as a single person can be one consequence
of an increasingly aging population.
In Italy, Coldiretti said 7.4% of single people over age 65
live in poverty, jumping to 19.8% in the country's south.
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