Italian family wealth — illiquid assets, mostly property, and financial instruments, held by the country’s households across all classes — has long been a pillar of economic strength in the heavily indebted nation. It is in focus again as the war in Ukraine, energy price shocks and inflation weaken the country’s outlook.
At 10 trillion euros (US$10.56 trillion), such wealth is one of the world’s largest stockpiles: It is 8.7 times greater than the country’s disposable income (that would be mostly cash), Bank of Italy data show.
Set against Italy’s sovereign debt of more than 150 percent of GDP, Italian families preside