# Istat: 1.28 million people in Italy faced food insecurity in 2025

> Istat's World Food Day release says 2.2% of Italy's resident population experienced moderate or severe food insecurity in 2025. The rate was 2.9% in the south and 1.8% in both the north and centre.

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- Publisher: Newsverum
- Section: Agriculture
- Country: Italy
- Published: 2026-10-16T08:19:51+00:00
- Updated: 2026-10-16T08:19:51+00:00
- Event / data period: 2025
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Italy's National Institute of Statistics (Istat) reported in an infographic published for World Food Day on October 16 that 2.2% of the country's resident population experienced moderate or severe food insecurity in 2025, about 1.28 million people. Istat defines the measure as economic inability to eat regularly, maintain a healthy and balanced diet, or obtain enough food for basic needs. It is based on the Food Insecurity Experience Scale (FIES).

The rate varied by region: 2.9% in southern Italy and 1.8% in both the centre and north. The share of people unable to access an adequate diet was 9.3% in 2025, up 1.4 percentage points from 2021. These indicators describe household access to food; they are not measures of agricultural output or food prices.

## Data

### Food access indicators in Italy, 2025

Istat's 2025 EU-SILC measures of food insecurity and access to an adequate diet.

Methodology: The source uses 2025 EU Statistics on Income and Living Conditions (EU-SILC). Moderate or severe food insecurity is measured with the Food Insecurity Experience Scale (FIES). Values are shares of Italy's resident population.

| label | value | unit | period | basis | value_qualifier |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population experiencing moderate or severe food insecurity, 2025 | 2.2 | percent | 2025 | observed | exact |
| Population without access to an adequate diet, 2025 | 9.3 | percent | 2025 | observed | exact |

Sources: <https://www.istat.it/infografiche/giornata-mondiale-dellalimentazione-16-ottobre-2026/> · Download data: [JSON](https://newsverum.com/api/v1/articles/istat-italy-food-insecurity-2025-world-food-day-2026/data/istat-food-access-italy-2025?lang=en&format=json) · [CSV](https://newsverum.com/api/v1/articles/istat-italy-food-insecurity-2025-world-food-day-2026/data/istat-food-access-italy-2025?lang=en&format=csv)

## Sources

- [Italian National Institute of Statistics (Istat)](<https://www.istat.it/infografiche/giornata-mondiale-dellalimentazione-16-ottobre-2026/>) (Source checked: 2026-10-16; Published: 2026-10-16)

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