| variable | 1980-1989 | 1990-1999 | 2000-2007 | 2008-2009 | 2010-2019 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| real gdp growth | 2.81 | 1.72 | 0.88 | -1.9 | -0.82 | 0.9 | 0.8 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.5 |
| CPI % | 9.86 | 3.73 | 2.49 | 1.2 | 1.08 | 5.9 | 1.1 | 1.6 | 2.6 | 2.4 |
| Unemployment rate | 8.61 | 10.36 | 7.74 | 8.2 | 10.95 | 7.7 | 6.6 | 6.1 | 6.0 | 6.1 |
| Debt/GDP % | 98.6 | 116.34 | 105.75 | 117.45 | 133.69 | 133.9 | 134.7 | 137.1 | 138.4 | 138.8 |
| Current account balance/GDP % | -1.21 | 0.71 | -1.01 | -2.5 | 1.55 | 0.2 | 1.1 | 1.2 | 0.6 | 1.1 |
Data derived from World Economic Outlook Database. To see main macroeconomic indicator in graphs click here
Italy became a nation-state in 1861 when the regional states of the peninsula, along with Sardinia and Sicily, were united under King Victor EMMANUEL II. An era of parliamentary government came to a close in the early 1920s when Benito MUSSOLINI established a Fascist dictatorship. His alliance with Nazi Germany led to Italy's defeat in World War II. A democratic republic replaced the monarchy in 1946, and economic revival followed. Italy is a charter member of NATO, as well as the European Economic Community (EEC) and its successors, the EC and the EU. It has been at the forefront of European economic and political unification, joining the Economic and Monetary Union in 1999. Persistent problems include sluggish economic growth, high youth and female unemployment, organized crime, corruption, and economic disparities between southern Italy and the more prosperous north.
Area: 301,340 sq km km2
Climate: predominantly Mediterranean; alpine in far north; hot, dry in south
Natural resources: coal, antimony, mercury, zinc, potash, marble, barite, asbestos, pumice, fluorspar, feldspar, pyrite (sulfur), natural gas and crude oil reserves, fish, arable land
Groups: Italian (includes small clusters of German-, French-, and Slovene-Italians in the north, Albanian-Italians, Croat-Italians, and Greek-Italians in the south)
Languages: Italian (official), German (parts of Trentino-Alto Adige region are predominantly German-speaking), French (small French-speaking minority in Valle d'Aosta region), Slovene (Slovene-speaking minority in the Trieste-Gorizia area), Croatian (in Molise)
Religions: Christian 80.8% (overwhelmingly Roman Catholic with very small groups of Jehovah's Witnesses and Protestants), Muslim 4.9%, unaffiliated 13.4%, other 0.9% (2020 est.)
Capital: Rome
Government type: parliamentary republic
Chief of state: President Sergio MATTARELLA (since 3 February 2015)
Head of government: Prime Minister Giorgia MELONI (since 22 October 2022); the prime minister's official title is President of the Council of Ministers
Description: Parliament (Il Parlamento) - bicameral
high-income, core EU economy; strong services, manufacturing, and tourism sectors; modest growth supported by net exports, low inflation, and public investments via EU funds; tight labor market with aging workforce and shortages in specialized skills; high public debt levels
tourism, machinery, iron and steel, chemicals, food processing, textiles, motor vehicles, clothing, footwear, ceramics
GDP by sector: Agriculture: 2% (2024 est.), Industry: 21.7% (2024 est.), Services: 65.6% (2024 est.)
Export partners: Germany 11%, USA 11%, France 10%, Spain 5%, UK 5% (2023)
Export commodities: packaged medicine, garments, cars, refined petroleum, vehicle parts/accessories (2023)
Import partners: Germany 15%, France 9%, China 8%, Netherlands 6%, Spain 5% (2023)
Import commodities: natural gas, crude petroleum, cars, packaged medicine, garments (2023)
Southern Europe, a peninsula extending into the central Mediterranean Sea, northeast of Tunisia
Military expenditure: 2025: 2% of GDP (2025 est.)
Information derived from worldfactbook.io (Lupon Media), open successor to the CIA World Factbook. Data sourced from World Bank, IMF, UN and other international organizations.