Written by 
Healthcare poverty is on the rise in Italy, with around 463,000 people this year relying on charitable healthcare facilities to access essential medicines, according to a report by the Osservatorio sulla Povertà Sanitaria (Observatory on Health Poverty).
This figure reflects an 8 per cent increase from 2023, highlighting the growing financial burden of healthcare for Italian citizens.
The cost of drugs in Italy has risen by nearly 32% in 7 years
The report reveals that Italian families spent €10.65 billion on medicines in 2023, a significant €731 million increase from the previous year. Over the last seven years (2017–2023), pharmaceutical expenses borne by households have surged by €2.576 billion, marking a staggering 31.9 per cent rise.
“The data and analyses of our Observatory on Health Poverty tell of a country in which vulnerable people struggle to take care of their health,” explained Sergio Daniotti, president of the Fondazione Banco Farmaceutico Ets, as reported by ANSA IT.
Men (54 per cent of those affected) and adults aged 18–64 (58 per cent) are those who have been hit the hardest by this healthcare poverty crisis. Alarmingly, 25 per cent of individuals living in healthcare poverty – approximately 102,000 people – are minors.
The financial strain has also forced many families to cut back on essential healthcare. In 2023 alone, over 3.36 million families limited their medical visits, tests, or treatments to save costs. This includes one in four low-income families and 12.8 per cent of higher-income households.
This healthcare poverty crisis highlights a growing divide in Italy’s healthcare system, with both poor and middle-class families increasingly unable to afford necessary treatments.
In other recent Italian healthcare news, over 16,000 reported cases of physical and verbal assaults against doctors and nurses called for drastic measures, including deploying the army.