1 billion more spent on price increases –

The 2024 Easter holidays cost Italians, including food, travel and restaurants, around 1 billion euros more than last year. The data comes from Assoutenti, which compared family spending for the Easter holidays by analyzing the trend in consumption and retail price lists. Italians have not given up on setting the tables for Easter, spending a total of 2.2 billion euros just for lunch at home, with an increase in spending of around 200 million compared to 2023 due to increases in retail prices.

Based on the latest Istat data, in March food goods in fact underwent an increase of 3.2% on an annual basis, with peaks of 45.9% for olive oil, 13% for potatoes, 7.4% fresh fruit. Not to mention the huge price increases that have hit Easter eggs, with price lists rising by over 20% compared to 2023. Spending on restaurants is also growing, despite the number of Italians who have chosen a public place remaining unchanged. for Easter lunch: from 400 million euros in 2023 to 450 million in 2024. The restaurant sector where prices rose on average by +3.6% in the last month compared to the same period in 2023.

The heaviest Easter price increases – Assoutenti reports, however – concern the travel and tourism sector: train fares increase by +8% on an annual basis, coach fares by +4%, passenger air transport by +15.5 %, almost 20% more is spent on domestic flight tickets alone compared to last year (+19.2%). Sleeping outside during these holidays is also more expensive: hotels, guesthouses and motels cost on average 6.7% more, with other accommodation facilities (B&Bs, holiday homes, etc.) even +8.4%. Overall, Italians’ spending on Easter travel and travel rose to 6.8 billion euros, around 700 million more than in 2023. A real blow.