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.

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

Land boundaries
Total: 1,836.4 km
Border countries (6): (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

Land use
Agricultural land: 44.3% (2023 est.)
Arable land: 24% (2023 est.)
Permanent crops: 8.1% (2023 est.)
Permanent pasture: 12.2% (2023 est.)
Forest: 31.8% (2023 est.)
Other: 24% (2023 est.)

Irrigated land: 24,460 km² (2021)

Natural hazards: regional risks include landslides, mudflows, avalanches, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, flooding; land subsidence in Venice
Volcanism: significant volcanic activity; Etna (3,330 m) is Europe's most active volcano, and its flank eruptions pose a threat to nearby Sicilian villages; Etna, along with the famous Vesuvius, 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

Population
Total: 60,964,931 (2024 est.)
Male: 29,414,065
Female: 31,550,866
Distribution: 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
Growth rate: -0.08% (2024 est.)

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 sample(s): ; L'Almanacco dei fatti del mondo, l'indispensabile fonte per le informazioni di base. (Italian); The World Factbook, 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.)

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: 55 (2024 est.)
Youth dependency ratio: 18.4 (2024 est.)
Elderly dependency ratio: 36.6 (2024 est.)
Potential support ratio: 2.7 (2024 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.)

Population distribution: 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)

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.)

Maternal mortality ratio: 6 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 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.)

Drinking water source
Total: 0.1% of population (2022 est.)

Sanitation facility access
Urban: 0% of population (2022 est.)
Rural: 0% of population (2022 est.)
Total: 0% of population (2022 est.)

Youth unemployment
Rate (ages 15-24): 6.8% (2024 est.); 7.7% (2023 est.); 8.1% (2022 est.)
Rate (ages 15-24) note: % of labor force seeking employment

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, but the name Romulus may instead derive from the city's name; the name Rome may come from an Etruscan name for the Tiber River, which was Roma or Ruma

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 Vallée d'Aoste (French)

Legal system: civil law system; Constitutional Court reviews legislation under certain conditions

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

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, who is known officially as the President of the Council of Ministers and locally as the premier; nominated by the president
Election/appointment process: 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); prime minister appointed by the president, confirmed by parliament
Most recent election date: 24-29 January 2022 (eight rounds)
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)
Expected date of next election: 2,029

Legislative branch
Legislature name: Parliament (Il Parlamento)
Legislative structure: bicameral

Flag description: three equal vertical bands of green (left side), white, and red

National anthem
Title: 'Il Canto degli Italiani' (The Song of the Italians)
Lyrics/music: Goffredo MAMELI/Michele NOVARO
History: adopted 2005; 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: 61 (55 cultural, 6 natural)
Selected World Heritage Site locales:

Real gdp growth rate: 0.7% (2024 est.); 0.7% (2023 est.); 4.8% (2022 est.)
Note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

Real gdp per capita: 0.7% (2024 est.); 0.7% (2023 est.); 4.8% (2022 est.)
Note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

Gdp composition by end use
Household consumption: 58.3% (2023 est.)
Government consumption: 17.8% (2023 est.)
Investment in fixed capital: 22.5% (2023 est.)
Investment in inventories: 0.4% (2023 est.)
Exports of goods and services: 33.5% (2023 est.)
Imports of goods and services: -32.1% (2023 est.)
Note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 2% (2024 est.)
Industry: 21.7% (2024 est.)
Services: 65.6% (2024 est.)
Note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

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

Industrial production growth rate: 0.2% (2024 est.)
Note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency

Labor force: 25.828 million (2024 est.)
Note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work

Unemployment rate: 6.8% (2024 est.); 7.7% (2023 est.); 8.1% (2022 est.)
Note: % of labor force seeking employment

Youth unemployment
Rate (ages 15-24): 6.8% (2024 est.); 7.7% (2023 est.); 8.1% (2022 est.)
Rate (ages 15-24) note: % of labor force seeking employment

Budget
Revenues: $935.038 billion (2023 est.)
Expenditures: $1.104 trillion (2023 est.)
Note: central government revenues (excluding grants) and expenditures converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated

Taxes and other revenues: 24.8% (of GDP) (2023 est.)
Note: central government tax revenue as a % of GDP

Exports: $778.898 billion (2024 est.); $774.311 billion (2023 est.); $737.083 billion (2022 est.)
Note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars
Commodities: packaged medicine, garments, cars, refined petroleum, vehicle parts/accessories (2023)
Commodities note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars

Imports: $717.278 billion (2024 est.); $739.646 billion (2023 est.); $775.518 billion (2022 est.)
Note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars
Commodities: natural gas, crude petroleum, cars, packaged medicine, garments (2023)
Commodities note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars

Electricity
Installed generating capacity: 128.692 million kW (2023 est.)
Consumption: 290.664 billion kWh (2023 est.)
Exports: 3.32 billion kWh (2023 est.)
Imports: 54.572 billion kWh (2023 est.)
Transmission/distribution losses: 17.62 billion kWh (2023 est.)
Access electrification - total population: 100% (2022 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels: 56% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Generation sources solar: 12% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Generation sources wind: 9.1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 14.7% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Generation sources geothermal: 2.1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Generation sources biomass and waste: 6.2% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Coal
Production: 1.572 million metric tons (2023 est.)
Consumption: 12.424 million metric tons (2023 est.)
Exports: 304,000 metric tons (2023 est.)
Imports: 12.069 million metric tons (2023 est.)
Proven reserves: 609.999 million metric tons (2023 est.)

Petroleum
Total petroleum production: 111,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)
Refined petroleum consumption: 1.245 million bbl/day (2024 est.)
Crude oil estimated reserves: 497.934 million barrels (2021 est.)

Natural gas
Production: 2.778 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)
Consumption: 61.906 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)
Exports: 2.609 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)
Imports: 61.851 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)
Proven reserves: 45.76 billion cubic meters (2021 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions: 307.442 million metric tonnes of CO&sub2; (2023 est.)
From coal and metallurgical coke: 26.15 million metric tonnes of CO&sub2; (2023 est.)
From petroleum and other liquids: 162.688 million metric tonnes of CO&sub2; (2023 est.)
From consumed natural gas: 118.604 million metric tonnes of CO&sub2; (2023 est.)

Energy consumption per capita: 96.797 million Btu/person (2023 est.)

Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 20.107 million (2023 est.)
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 34 (2023 est.)
Mobile cellular total subscriptions: 78.5 million (2023 est.)
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 133 (2022 est.)

Internet
Users percent of population: 87% (2023 est.)

Broadband fixed subscriptions
Total: 20.1 million (2023 est.)
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 34 (2023 est.)

Military expenditures: 2% of GDP (2025 est.); 1.5% of GDP (2024 est.); 1.5% of GDP (2023 est.); 1.5% of GDP (2022 est.); 1.5% of GDP (2021 est.)

Airports: 655 (2025)

Heliports: 163 (2025)

Railways
Total: 18,475 km (2020) 12,936 km electrified; 1289.3 0.950-mm gauge (151.3 km electrified)

Merchant marine
Total: 1,276 (2023)
By type: bulk carrier 17, container ship 6, general cargo 109, oil tanker 95, other 1,049