Map of Italy | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide198919901991199219931994199519961997199819992000200120022003200420052006200720082009201020112012201320142015201620172018201920202021202220232024 | More stats

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Background: 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.


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Location: Southern Europe, a peninsula extending into the central Mediterranean Sea, northeast of Tunisia

Geographic coordinates: 42 50 N, 12 50 E

Map reference: Europe

Area
Total: 301,340 km²
Land: 294,140 km²
Water: 7,200 km²
Note: includes Sardinia and Sicily
Comparative: almost twice the size of Georgia; slightly larger than Arizona
Country comparison total: 1,836.4 km
Country comparison border countries: (5) Austria 404 km; France 476 km; Holy See (Vatican City) 3.4 km; San Marino 37 km; Slovenia 218 km; Switzerland 698 km

Land boundaries
Total: 1,836.4 km
Border countries: (5) Austria 404 km; France 476 km; Holy See (Vatican City) 3.4 km; San Marino 37 km; Slovenia 218 km; Switzerland 698 km

Coastline: 7,600 km

Maritime claims
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation

Climate: predominantly Mediterranean; alpine in far north; hot, dry in south

Terrain: mostly rugged and mountainous; some plains, coastal lowlands

Elevation
Highest point: Mont Blanc (Monte Bianco) de Courmayeur (a secondary peak of Mont Blanc) 4,748 m
Lowest point: Mediterranean Sea 0 m
Mean elevation: 538 m

Natural resources: coal, antimony, mercury, zinc, potash, marble, barite, asbestos, pumice, fluorspar, feldspar, pyrite (sulfur), natural gas and crude oil reserves, fish, arable land

Land use
Agricultural land: 47.1% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land arable land: 22.8% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land permanent crops: 8.6% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land permanent pasture: 15.7% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land forest: 31.4% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land other: 21.5% (2018 est.)

Irrigated land: 26,010 km² (2013)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²: Atlantic Ocean drainage: Rhine-Maas (198,735 km²), (Black Sea) Danube (795,656 km²), (Adriatic Sea) Po (76,997 km²), (Mediterranean Sea) Rhone (100,543 km²)

Total water withdrawal
Municipal: 9.19 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)
Industrial: 7.7 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)
Agricultural: 17 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

Total renewable water resources: 191.3 billion m³ (2020 est.)

Natural hazards: regional risks include landslides, mudflows, avalanches, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, flooding; land subsidence in Venice
Volcanism: significant volcanic activity; Etna (3,330 m), which is in eruption as of 2013, is Europe's most active volcano; flank eruptions pose a threat to nearby Sicilian villages; Etna, along with the famous Vesuvius, which remains a threat to the millions of nearby residents in the Bay of Naples area, have both been deemed Decade Volcanoes by the International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth's Interior, worthy of study due to their explosive history and close proximity to human populations; Stromboli, on its namesake island, has also been continuously active with moderate volcanic activity; other historically active volcanoes include Campi Flegrei, Ischia, Larderello, Pantelleria, Vulcano, and Vulsini

Geography
Note: strategic location dominating central Mediterranean as well as southern sea and air approaches to Western Europe


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Population
Distribution: despite a distinctive pattern with an industrial north and an agrarian south, a fairly even population distribution exists throughout most of the country, with coastal areas, the Po River Valley, and urban centers (particularly Milan, Rome, and Naples), attracting larger and denser populations
Total: 60,964,931
Male: 29,414,065
Female: 31,550,866 (2024 est.)
Growth rate: -0.08% (2024 est.)
Below poverty line: 20.1% (2021 est.)
Below poverty line note: % of population with income below national poverty line

Nationality
Noun: Italian(s)
Adjective: Italian

Ethnic 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)
Major-language samples: L'Almanacco dei fatti del mondo, l'indispensabile fonte per le informazioni di base. (Italian); Gheos World Guide, the indispensable source for basic information.

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.)

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 11.9% (male 3,699,167/female 3,531,734)
15-64 years: 64.5% (male 19,378,160/female 19,958,137)
65 years and over: 23.6% (2024 est.) (male 6,336,738/female 8,060,995)

Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio: 57.1
Youth dependency ratio: 19.9
Elderly dependency ratio: 37.2
Potential support ratio: 2.7 (2021 est.)

Median age
Total: 48.4 years (2024 est.)
Male: 47.4 years
Female: 49.4 years

Population growth rate: -0.08% (2024 est.)

Birth rate: 7.1 births/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Death rate: 11.2 deaths/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Net migration rate: 3.4 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Population distribution: despite a distinctive pattern with an industrial north and an agrarian south, a fairly even population distribution exists throughout most of the country, with coastal areas, the Po River Valley, and urban centers (particularly Milan, Rome, and Naples), attracting larger and denser populations

Urbanization
Urban population: 72% of total population (2023)
Rate of urbanization: 0.27% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Major urban areas
Population: 4.316 million ROME (capital), 3.155 million Milan, 2.179 million Naples, 1.802 million Turin, 913,000 Bergamo, 850,000 Palermo (2023)

Environment
Current issues: air pollution from industrial emissions such as sulfur dioxide; coastal and inland rivers polluted from industrial and agricultural effluents; acid rain damaging lakes; inadequate industrial waste treatment and disposal facilities
International agreements party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protection, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Marine Dumping-London Protocol, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 2006, Wetlands, Whaling
International agreements signed but not ratified: Air Pollution-Heavy Metals, Air Pollution-Multi-effect Protocol

Air pollutants
Particulate matter emissions: 14.22 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)
Methane emissions: 41.3 megatons (2020 est.)

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.79 male(s)/female
Total population: 0.93 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth: 31.4 years (2020 est.)

Maternal mortality ratio: 5 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 3.1 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.)
Male: 3.2 deaths/1,000 live births
Female: 2.9 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 83 years (2024 est.)
Male: 80.7 years
Female: 85.5 years

Total fertility rate: 1.26 children born/woman (2024 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate: 65.1% (2013)
Note: percent of women aged 18-49

Drinking water source
Improved urban: NA
Unimproved rural: NA
Unimproved total: 0.1% of population (2020 est.)
Unimproved urban: NA

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density: 3.1 beds/1,000 population (2018)

Sanitation facility access
Improved urban: 100% of population
Improved rural: 100% of population
Improved total: 100% of population
Unimproved urban: 0% of population
Unimproved rural: 0% of population
Unimproved total: 0% of population (2020 est.)

Hiv/Aids

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate: 19.9% (2016)

Alcohol consumption
Per capita total: 7.65 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Per capita beer: 1.99 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Per capita wine: 4.83 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Per capita spirits: 0.83 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Per capita other alcohols: 0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Tobacco use
Total: 23.1% (2020 est.)
Male: 26.6% (2020 est.)
Female: 19.5% (2020 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight: NA

Education expenditures: 4.3% of GDP (2020 est.)

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 99.2%
Male: 99.4%
Female: 99% (2018)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Total: 16 years
Male: 16 years
Female: 17 years (2020)

Youth unemployment
Rate ages 15 24 total: 22.7% (2023 est.)
Rate ages 15 24 male: 21.2% (2023 est.)
Rate ages 15 24 female: 25.2% (2023 est.)
Rate ages 15 24 note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment


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Country name
Conventional long form: Italian Republic
Conventional short form: Italy
Local long form: Repubblica Italiana
Local short form: Italia
Former: Kingdom of Italy
Etymology: derivation is unclear, but the Latin 'Italia' may come from the Oscan 'Viteliu' meaning '[Land] of Young Cattle' (the bull was a symbol of southern Italic tribes)

Government type: parliamentary republic

Capital
Name: Rome
Geographic coordinates: 41 54 N, 12 29 E
Time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
Daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October
Etymology: by tradition, named after Romulus, one of the legendary founders of the city and its first king

Administrative divisions: 15 regions (regioni, singular - regione) and 5 autonomous regions (regioni autonome, singular - regione autonoma); regions: Abruzzo, Basilicata, Calabria, Campania, Emilia-Romagna, Lazio (Latium), Liguria, Lombardia, Marche, Molise, Piemonte (Piedmont), Puglia (Apulia), Toscana (Tuscany), Umbria, Veneto; autonomous regions: Friuli Venezia Giulia, Sardegna (Sardinia), Sicilia (Sicily), Trentino-Alto Adige (Trentino-South Tyrol) or Trentino-Suedtirol (German), Valle d'Aosta (Aosta Valley) or Vallee d'Aoste (French)

Dependent areas

Independence: 17 March 1861 (Kingdom of Italy proclaimed; Italy was not finally unified until 1871)

National holiday: Republic Day, 2 June (1946)

Constitution
History: previous 1848 (originally for the Kingdom of Sardinia and adopted by the Kingdom of Italy in 1861); latest enacted 22 December 1947, adopted 27 December 1947, entered into force 1 January 1948
Amendments: proposed by both houses of Parliament; passage requires two successive debates and approval by absolute majority of each house on the second vote; a referendum is only required when requested by one fifth of the members of either house, by voter petition, or by 5 Regional Councils (elected legislative assemblies of the 15 first-level administrative regions and 5 autonomous regions of Italy); referendum not required if an amendment has been approved by a two-thirds majority in each house in the second vote; amended many times, last in 2020
Note: in June 2024, the Senate approved in its first vote an amendment calling for the direct election of the prime minister; subsequent votes by both the Senate and House of Deputies is required for passage; lacking approval by Parliament, approval is required by constitutional referendum

Legal system: civil law system; judicial review of legislation under certain conditions in Constitutional Court

International law organization participation: accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

Citizenship
Citizenship by birth: no
Citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of Italy
Dual citizenship recognized: yes
Residency requirement for naturalization: 4 years for EU nationals, 5 years for refugees and specified exceptions, 10 years for all others

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal except in senatorial elections, where minimum age is 25

Executive branch
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
Cabinet: Council of Ministers proposed by the prime minister, known officially as the President of the Council of Ministers and locally as the Premier; nominated by the president
Elections/appointments: president indirectly elected by an electoral college consisting of both houses of Parliament and 58 regional representatives for a 7-year term (no term limits); election last held on 24-29 January 2022 (eight rounds) (next to be held in 2,029); prime minister appointed by the president, confirmed by parliament
Election results: 2022: Sergio MATTARELLA (independent) reelected president; electoral college vote count in eighth round - 759 out of 1,009 (505 vote threshold); 2015: Sergio MATTARELLA (independent) elected president; electoral college vote count in fourth round - 665 out of 995 (505 vote threshold)

Legislative branch
Description: bicameral Parliament or Parlamento consists of: Senate or Senato della Repubblica (205 seats; 122 members in multi-seat constituencies directly elected by proportional representation vote, 74 members in single-seat constituencies directly elected by plurality vote, 4 members in multi-seat constituencies abroad directly elected by proportional representation vote, and 5 members appointed by the president of Italy; all members serve 5-year terms), Chamber of Deputies or Camera dei Deputati (400 seats; 245 members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote; 147 members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by plurality vote and 8 members in multi-seat constituencies abroad directly elected by proportional representation vote; members serve 5-year terms)
Elections: Senate - last held on 25 September 2022 (next to be held no later than December 2,027), Chamber of Deputies - last held on 25 September 2022
Note: snap elections were called when Prime Minister DRAGHI resigned and the parliament was dissolved on 21 July 2022 (next to be held on 30 September 2,027)
Elections results: Senate - percent of vote by party/coalition - NA; seats by party/coalition - center-right coalition 113 (FdI 65, Lega 30, FI 18), center-left coalition 43 (PD 40, AVS 3), M5S 28, Action-Italia Viva 9, SVP 2, MAIE 1, ScN 1; composition - men 131, women 74, percentage women 36.1%, Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - center-right coalition 230 (FdI 119, Lega 66, FI 45), center-left coalition 83 (PD 69, AVS 12, +EU 2), M5S 52, Action-Italia Viva 21, SVP 3, MAIE 1, ScN 1; composition - men 271, women 129, percentage women 32.3%; total Parliament percentage women 33.6%

Judicial branch
Highest courts: Supreme Court of Cassation or Corte Suprema di Cassazione (consists of the first president (chief justice), deputy president, 54 justices presiding over 6 civil and 7 criminal divisions, and 288 judges; an additional 30 judges of lower courts serve as supporting judges; cases normally heard by 5-judge panels; more complex cases heard by 9-judge panels); Constitutional Court or Corte Costituzionale (consists of the court president and 14 judges)
Judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court judges appointed by the High Council of the Judiciary, headed by the president of the republic; judges may serve for life; Constitutional Court judges - 5 appointed by the president, 5 elected by Parliament, 5 elected by select higher courts; judges serve up to 9 years
Subordinate courts: various lower civil and criminal courts (primary and secondary tribunals and courts of appeal)

Political parties and leaders: Action-Italia Viva , Associative Movement of Italians Abroad or MAIE , Brothers of Italy or FdI , Democratic Party or PD , Five Star Movement or M5S , Forza Italia or FI , Free and Equal (Liberi e Uguali) or LeU , Greens and Left Alliance or AVS , Italexit , League or Lega , More Europe or +EU , Popular Union or PU , South calls North or ScN , South Tyrolean Peoples Party or SVP , other minor parties

International organization participation: ADB (nonregional member), AfDB (nonregional member), Arctic Council (observer), Australia Group, BIS, BSEC (observer), CBSS (observer), CD, CDB, CE, CEI, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECB, EIB, EITI (implementing country), EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, FATF, G-7, G-8, G-10, G-20, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD (partners), IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAIA (observer), MIGA, MINURSO, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, Pacific Alliance (observer), Paris Club, PCA, PIF (partner), Schengen Convention, SELEC (observer), SICA (observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, Union Latina, UNMOGIP, UNOOSA, UNRWA, UNTSO, UNWTO, UPU, Wassenaar Arrangement, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

Diplomatic representation
In the us: chief of mission: Ambassador Mariangela ZAPPIA (since 15 September 2021)
In the us chancery: 3,000 Whitehaven Street NW, Washington, DC 20,008
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 612-4,400
In the us fax: [1] (202) 518-2,154
In the us email address and website: washington.ambasciata@esteri.it; [link]
In the us consulates general: Boston, Chicago, Houston, Miami, New York, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, San Francisco
In the us consulates: Detroit
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Jack MARKELL (since September 2023)
From the us note: also accredited to San Marino
From the us embassy: via Vittorio Veneto 121, 00187 Roma
From the us mailing address: 9,500 Rome Place, Washington DC 20,521-9,500
From the us telephone: [39] 06-46,741
From the us fax: [39] 06-4,674-2,244
From the us email address and website: uscitizenrome@state.gov; [link]
From the us consulates general: Florence, Milan, Naples

Flag description: three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), white, and red; design inspired by the French flag brought to Italy by Napoleon in 1797; colors are those of Milan (red and white) combined with the green uniform color of the Milanese civic guard
Note: similar to the flag of Mexico, which is longer, uses darker shades of green and red, and has its coat of arms centered on the white band; Ireland, which is longer and is green (hoist side), white, and orange; also similar to the flag of the Cote d'Ivoire, which has the colors reversed - orange (hoist side), white, and green

National symbols: white, five-pointed star (Stella d'Italia); national colors: red, white, green

National anthem
Name: 'Il Canto degli Italiani' (The Song of the Italians)
Lyrics/music: Goffredo MAMELI/Michele NOVARO
Note: adopted 1946; the anthem, originally written in 1847, is also known as 'L'Inno di Mameli' (Mameli's Hymn), and 'Fratelli D'Italia' (Brothers of Italy)

National heritage
Total world heritage sites: 60 (54 cultural, 6 natural)
Selected world heritage site locales:


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Economy overview: core EU economy; strong services, manufacturing, and tourism sectors; sustained recovery in post-COVID inflationary environment; high public debt levels; increasing poverty levels particularly in poorer south; strong exports to EU and US partners

Real gdp purchasing power parity: $3.097 trillion (2023 est.); $3.068 trillion (2022 est.); $2.951 trillion (2021 est.)
Note: data in 2021 dollars

Real gdp growth rate: 0.92% (2023 est.); 3.99% (2022 est.); 8.31% (2021 est.)
Note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

Real gdp per capita: $52,700 (2023 est.); $52,100 (2022 est.); $49,900 (2021 est.)
Note: data in 2021 dollars

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use
Household consumption: 59.6% (2023 est.)
Government consumption: 18.1% (2023 est.)
Investment in fixed capital: 21.2% (2023 est.)
Investment in inventories: -0.3% (2023 est.)
Exports of goods and services: 35.1% (2023 est.)
Imports of goods and services: -33.7% (2023 est.)
Note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 1.9% (2023 est.)
Industry: 23.1% (2023 est.)
Services: 64.9% (2023 est.)
Note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

Agriculture products: milk, grapes, wheat, tomatoes, maize, apples, olives, oranges, potatoes, pork (2022)
Note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage

Industries: tourism, machinery, iron and steel, chemicals, food processing, textiles, motor vehicles, clothing, footwear, ceramics

Industrial production growth rate: -0.02% (2023 est.)
Note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency

Labor force: 25.669 million (2023 est.)
Note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work

Unemployment rate: 7.62% (2023 est.); 8.07% (2022 est.); 9.5% (2021 est.)
Note: % of labor force seeking employment

Youth unemployment
Rate ages 15 24 total: 22.7% (2023 est.)
Rate ages 15 24 male: 21.2% (2023 est.)
Rate ages 15 24 female: 25.2% (2023 est.)
Rate ages 15 24 note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment

Population below poverty line: 20.1% (2021 est.)
Note: % of population with income below national poverty line

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: $857.336 billion (2022 est.)
Expenditures: $1.015 trillion (2022 est.)
Note: central government revenues (excluding grants) and expenses converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated

Taxes and other revenues: 24.92% (of GDP) (2022 est.)
Note: central government tax revenue as a % of GDP

Public debt: 131.8% of GDP (2017 est.)
Note: Italy reports its data on public debt according to guidelines set out in the Maastricht Treaty; general government gross debt is defined in the Maastricht Treaty as consolidated general government gross debt at nominal value, outstanding at the end of the year, in the following categories of government liabilities (as defined in ESA95): currency and deposits (AF.2), securities other than shares excluding financial derivatives (AF.3, excluding AF.34), and loans (AF.4); the general government sector comprises central, state, and local government and social security funds

Revenue
From forest resources: 0.01% of GDP (2018 est.)
From coal: 0% of GDP (2018 est.)

Fiscal year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 5.62% (2023 est.); 8.2% (2022 est.); 1.87% (2021 est.)
Note: annual % change based on consumer prices

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance: $11.552 billion (2023 est.); -$32.783 billion (2022 est.); $51.549 billion (2021 est.)
Note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars

Exports: $793.589 billion (2023 est.); $752.864 billion (2022 est.); $691.428 billion (2021 est.)
Note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars
Partners: Germany 12%, US 11%, France 10%, Spain 5%, UK 4% (2022)
Partners note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports
Commodities: packaged medicine, refined petroleum, garments, cars, vehicle parts/accessories (2022)
Commodities note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars

Imports: $756.154 billion (2023 est.); $785.549 billion (2022 est.); $644.93 billion (2021 est.)
Note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars
Partners: Germany 14%, France 8%, China 8%, Netherlands 5%, Spain 5% (2022)
Partners note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports
Commodities: natural gas, crude petroleum, cars, packaged medicine, garments (2022)
Commodities note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $247.396 billion (2023 est.); $224.581 billion (2022 est.); $227.478 billion (2021 est.)
Note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars

Debt external

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates:


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Electricity
Access electrification total population: 100% (2022 est.)
Installed generating capacity: 123.327 million kW (2022 est.)
Consumption: 298.32 billion kWh (2022 est.)
Exports: 4.419 billion kWh (2022 est.)
Imports: 47.402 billion kWh (2022 est.)
Transmission/distribution losses: 18.827 billion kWh (2022 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels: 63.7% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)
Generation sources solar: 9.9% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)
Generation sources wind: 7.5% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 10% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)
Generation sources geothermal: 2% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)
Generation sources biomass and waste: 7% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

Coal
Production: 1.618 million metric tons (2022 est.)
Consumption: 13.127 million metric tons (2022 est.)
Exports: 294,000 metric tons (2022 est.)
Imports: 12.462 million metric tons (2022 est.)
Proven reserves: 609.999 million metric tons (2022 est.)

Petroleum
Total petroleum production: 116,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)
Refined petroleum consumption: 1.246 million bbl/day (2023 est.)
Crude oil estimated reserves: 497.934 million barrels (2021 est.)

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas
Production: 3.117 billion m³ (2022 est.)
Consumption: 68.735 billion m³ (2022 est.)
Exports: 4.594 billion m³ (2022 est.)
Imports: 72.579 billion m³ (2022 est.)
Proven reserves: 45.76 billion m³ (2021 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions: 316.578 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)
From coal and metallurgical coke: 27.291 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)
From petroleum and other liquids: 157.6 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)
From consumed natural gas: 131.687 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

Energy consumption per capita: 98.458 million Btu/person (2022 est.)


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Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 19.982 million (2022 est.)
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 34 (2022 est.)
Mobile cellular total subscriptions: 78.503 million (2022 est.)
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 133 (2022 est.)

Telephone system

Broadcast media

Internet

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures: 1.5% of GDP (2024 est.); 1.5% of GDP (2023); 1.5% of GDP (2022); 1.5% of GDP (2021); 1.6% of GDP (2020)

Military and security forces: Italian Armed Forces (Forze Armate Italiane): Army (Esercito Italiano, EI), Navy (Marina Militare Italiana, MMI; includes aviation, marines), Italian Air Force (Aeronautica Militare Italiana, AMI); Carabinieri Corps (Arma dei Carabinieri, CC) (2024)
Note 1: the National Police and Carabinieri (gendarmerie or military police) maintain internal security; the National Police reports to the Ministry of Interior while the Carabinieri reports to the Ministry of Defense but is also under the coordination of the Ministry of Interior; the Carabinieri is primarily a domestic police force organized along military lines, with some overseas responsibilities
Note 2: the Financial Guard (Guardia di Finanza) under the Ministry of Economy and Finance is a force with military status and nationwide remit for financial crime investigations, including narcotics trafficking, smuggling, and illegal immigration

Military service age and obligation: 17-25 years of age for voluntary military service for men and women (some variations on age depending on the military branch); voluntary service is a minimum of 12 months with the option to extend in the Armed Forces or compete for positions in the Military Corps of the Italian Red Cross, the State Police, the Carabinieri, the Guardia di Finanza, the Penitentiary Police, or the National Fire Brigade; recruits can also volunteer for 4 years military service; conscription abolished 2004 (2024)
Note: women serve in all military branches; as of 2023, women made up about 8% of the military's full-time personnel

Space program

Terrorist groups: Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS)
Note: details about the history, aims, leadership, organization, areas of operation, tactics, targets, weapons, size, and sources of support of the group(s) appear(s) in the Terrorism reference guide


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National air transport system
Number of registered air carriers: 9 (2020)
Inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 180
Annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 27,630,435 (2018)
Annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 1.418 billion (2018) mt-km

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix: I

Airports: 636 (2024)

Heliports: 155 (2024)

Pipelines: 20,223 km gas, 1,393 km oil, 1,574 km refined products (2013)

Railways

Roadways
Total: 228,863 km (2021)

Waterways: 2,400 km (2012) (used for commercial traffic; of limited overall value compared to road and rail)

Merchant marine

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international

Refugees and internally displaced persons
Refugees country of origin: 21,441 (Nigeria), 17,706 (Afghanistan), 17,619 (Pakistan), 11,193 (Mali), 8,405 (Somalia), 6,324 (Gambia), 5,768 (Bangladesh), 5,463 (Iraq) (mid-year 2022); 169,165 (Ukraine) (as of 23 February 2024)
Stateless persons: 3,000 (2022)
Note: 861,413 estimated refugee and migrant arrivals (January 2015-March 2024)

Illicit drugs: important gateway for drug trafficking; organized crime groups allied with Colombian and Spanish groups trafficking cocaine to Europe