The bill is in the red for thousands of Sardinians. Two years of the pandemic certainly did not help, but life goes on anyway, and if the world has stopped for months, so have no mortgage payments, loans and leases. This is why thousands of families and companies on the island have had to resort to new loans to stay afloat, while further increasing their debt in view of an economic recovery that is still in doubt.
The numbers
The scenario that is anything but rosy was summed up by the report of the CGIA of Mestre which, by crossing the data of the Bank of Italy and Istat, recorded an increase in the per capita liabilities of Sardinians of 5.7% in the last two years. The debt accumulated by every Sardinian has therefore risen to almost reach 17 thousand euros.
The provincial focus obviously penalizes the richer territories and the higher standard of living: it is therefore not surprising that in Cagliari the average debt reaches the ceiling of 21,900 euros, while in Sassari, although always above the regional average, they stop at 17,253 euros. Liabilities for residents in the provinces of Oristano (13,579 euros), South Sardinia (13,477 euros) and Nuoro (11,996 euros) are more contained.
Don't panic
"Even though the stock of debts is on the rise and the negative effects of high living and high bills have exploded only after the beginning of this year, the situation is critical, but not dramatic", clarify those responsible for the investigation. “The increase is likely to be partly attributable to the strong economic recovery that took place last year. It should also be noted that the most indebted provincial areas are also those with the highest income levels. Surely in these realities among the indebted there are also nuclei belonging to the weaker social groups ".
Fears and hopes
In short, if on the one hand the surge in energy costs has massacred the balance sheets of businesses and households, on the other hand it is possible that this increase in the demand for credit is functional to a greater propensity to invest in view of a restart that in reality , for now, it is not giving clear signals. "The signs of criticality in the regional fabric are not lacking - confirms Francesco Porcu, secretary of Cna Sardinia -, and with the increases in energy and fuel prices recorded this year, the picture could also worsen, given that the end of the health emergency does not come is still completed. A potential emergency which therefore needs immediate interventions to sustain the credit of the island's realities, especially the weakest ones, which risk becoming increasingly fragile and potentially easy prey for usurers. A phenomenon which, although not as serious as in other realities, is nevertheless not negligible ».
Luca Mascia