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Raising a child in Italy costs an average of 650 euros per month (Neodemos, 2021). In the northern regions, this expense rises to 714 euros, while in the southern regions, where the cost of living is lower, it decreases to 512 euros. In total, a family will spend approximately 140,000 euros until the child reaches adulthood. These are significant sums, particularly for young families who aspire to have more children in the near future. How can we assist them?
To convey to prospective parents that the country is prepared to support their commitment and embraces the formation of new families, the government should focus on alleviating this financial burden as much as possible.
This principle, which views raising a child as a concern of public policy rather than merely a private concern, is the foundation upon which many countries offer extensive economic support with a robust universal framework.
While Italy has partially adopted this approach with regard to measures supporting birth rates, such as the introduction of the Universal Child Allowance in 2021, the system remains too closely tied to the ISEE (Equivalent Economic Status Indicator).