Contributions to the economy, but discrimination and poverty persist.
In Italy, migrants are a pillar of the economy, but their daily lives remain marked by exploitation, discrimination and violence. According to the 2025 Statistical Dossier on Immigration by the Idos Study Centre, the foreign population residing in Italy in 2024 will be 5.4 million people, equal to 9.2% of the total population. The state spends €34.5 billion on services and benefits for foreign citizens, who, however, contribute €39.1 billion in taxes and social security contributions, generating a positive balance of €4.6 billion.
Despite this contribution to the economy, many migrants continue to suffer severe forms of labour exploitation, often in precarious, underpaid jobs without protection. The dossier highlights how this situation is not only economic: in some contexts, migrants suffer violence, threats and discriminatory treatment, factors that aggravate their social condition and make the risk of exclusion a reality.
Inequalities are also reflected in poverty. The Dossier discusses a veritable ‘ethnicisation of poverty’: among foreign citizens, the risk of poverty is significantly higher than among Italians, and foreign minors remain among the most vulnerable, often exposed to conditions that limit their future.
Opportunities remain limited in the education sector as well. Foreign students are less represented among graduates, accounting for approximately 5.4% of the total, and are mainly concentrated in technical and vocational institutions. Economic and structural barriers reduce opportunities for growth and access to qualified training programmes, reinforcing inequalities between generations.
The 2025 Dossier clearly shows that, without concrete action to guarantee decent work, protection from risks and real access to opportunities, inequalities and vulnerabilities will not remain abstract numbers, but tangible obstacles to the lives of thousands of people.
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