Population (2018): 60,420,000
Gross National Income, Atlas method (Current USD) (Billions) (2018): $2,040.70
GNI per capita, Atlas method (Current USD) (2018): $33,770
Income Share Held by Lowest 20% (2018): 6.0%
Gross Domestic Product (Current USD) (Billions) (2018): $2,085.76

Source: World Bank. Country Profile: Italy. World Development Indicators. Last accessed Nov. 11, 2020.

Gross Domestic Product Per Capita (Current USD) (2010-2018): $32,155.20
Share of Household Income (2010-2018):
    Bottom 40%: 18.0%; Top 20%: 41.3%; Bottom 20%: 5.9%
Gini Coefficient (2010-2018): 35.4
Palma Index of Income Inequality (2010-2018): NA

Source: UNICEF (2019). The State of the World’s Children 2019. Children, Food and Nutrition: Growing well in a changing world. UNICEF, New York.

“The most important sectors of Italy’s economy in 2018 were wholesale and retail trade, transport, accommodation and food services (21.4%), industry (19.4%) and public administration, defence, education, human health and social work activities (16.6%).

“Intra-EU trade accounts for 56% of Italy’s exports (Germany 13%, France 10% and Spain 5%), while outside the EU 9% go to the United States and 5% to Switzerland.

“In terms of imports, 59% come from EU Member States (Germany 17%, France 9% and the Netherlands and Spain 5%), while outside the EU 7% come from China and 4% from the United States.”

Source: European Union. EU Member Countries In Brief: Italy. Last accessed Oct. 12, 2020.

“Some of the most remarkable, specific weaknesses of Italy’s economy in the late 1990s were related to its labour market structure. In 2000, for instance, 27.5% of all unemployed people were younger than 25, one of the highest proportions in the EU (18.1% on average). Although it decreased to 20.3% in 2007, it started increasing again in 2009 and reached 35.3% in 2012 (OECD, 2014a). Total unemployment – expressed as percentage of the total labour force – was 8.7% in 2012. Currently, women only account for 39% of the workforce (latest data are from 2010), one of the lowest rates among EU countries and, above all, a percentage that sharply declines with movement up the hierarchical scale, with top positions both in the public and private sectors usually being the domain of the male workforce. In addition, temporary jobs continue to play an increasingly important role within Italy’s economy, primarily in the south. There is also a major underground economy that accounts for an estimated 14–20% of GDP. This includes many nominally unemployed people, as well as undocumented immigrants, especially in difficult agricultural work in the rural south.

“In the 2000s, priorities for the Italian economy included the need to address proposed fiscal reform, revamp its communication system, reduce pollution in major industrial centres and adapt to the new competitive environment related to the ongoing process of economic integration and expansion of the EU (Lo Scalzo et al., 2009). Following the onset of the global economic crisis in 2008, Italy’s economy went into recession in early 2009 and has continued to struggle with achieving economic growth. At the time of writing, the most recent data show that Italy’s economy was still stagnating in 2014, with an estimated GDP growth rate of 0.7% (IMF, 2014). Priorities now include reversing sharp decreases in investment and export markets, tackling rising unemployment (8.7% in 2012) and implementing cut back measures in the public sector to manage a widening public debt.”

Source: Ferré F, de Belvis AG, Valerio L, Longhi S, Lazzari A, Fattore G, Ricciardi W, Maresso A. Italy: Health System Review. Health Systems in Transition, 2014, 16(4):1–168.

Health Systems Facts is a project of the Real Reporting Foundation. We provide reliable statistics and other data from authoritative sources regarding health systems in the US and several other nations.

Page last updated April 20, 2021 by Doug McVay, Editor.