2018 Edition

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 and the European Economic Community (EEC) and its subsequent 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

land

294,140 sq km

note

includes Sardinia and Sicily

total

301,340 sq km

water

7,200 sq km

Area Comparative

almost twice the size of Georgia; slightly larger than Arizona

Climate

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

Coastline

7,600 km

Elevation

elevation extremes

0 m lowest point: Mediterranean Sea

mean elevation

538 m

note

4748 highest point: Mont Blanc (Monte Bianco) de Courmayeur (a secondary peak of Mont Blanc)

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

Environment International Agreements

party to

Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling

signed, but not ratified

none of the selected agreements

Geographic Coordinates

42 50 N, 12 50 E

Geography Note

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

Irrigated Land

39,500 sq km (2012)

Land Boundaries

border countries (6)

Austria 404 km, France 476 km, Holy See (Vatican City) 3.4 km, San Marino 37 km, Slovenia 218 km, Switzerland 698 km

total

1,836.4 km

Land Use

arable land: 22.8% (2011 est.) / permanent crops: 8.6% (2011 est.) / permanent pasture: 15.7% (2011 est.)

agricultural land

47.1% (2011 est.)

forest

31.4% (2011 est.)

other

21.5% (2011 est.)

Location

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

Map References

Europe

Maritime Claims

continental shelf

200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation

territorial sea

12 nm

Natural Hazards

regional risks include landslides, mudflows, avalanches, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, flooding; land subsidence in Venicevolcanism: significant volcanic activity; Etna (3,330 m), which is in eruption as of 2010, 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

Natural Resources

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

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

Terrain

mostly rugged and mountainous; some plains, coastal lowlands

Age Structure

0-14 years

13.6% (male 4,326,862 /female 4,136,562)

15-24 years

9.61% (male 2,994,651 /female 2,984,172)

25-54 years

41.82% (male 12,845,442 /female 13,183,240)

55-64 years

13.29% (male 4,012,640 /female 4,261,956)

65 years and over

21.69% (male 5,817,819 /female 7,683,330) (2018 est.)

Birth Rate

8.5 births/1,000 population (2018 est.)

Contraceptive Prevalence Rate

65.1% (2013)

note

percent of women aged 18-49

Death Rate

10.5 deaths/1,000 population (2018 est.)

Dependency Ratios

elderly dependency ratio

35 (2015 est.)

potential support ratio

2.9 (2015 est.)

total dependency ratio

56.5 (2015 est.)

youth dependency ratio

21.5 (2015 est.)

Drinking Water Source

improved: urban: 100% of population

rural: 100% of population

total: 100% of population

unimproved: urban: 0% of population

rural: 0% of population

total: 0% of population (2015 est.)

Education Expenditures

4.1% of GDP (2014)

Ethnic Groups

Italian (includes small clusters of German-, French-, and Slovene-Italians in the north and Albanian-Italians and Greek-Italians in the south)

Health Expenditures

9.2% of GDP (2014)

Hiv Aids Adult Prevalence Rate

0.2% (2017 est.)

Hiv Aids Deaths

<1000 (2017 est.)

Hiv Aids People Living With Hiv Aids

130,000 (2017 est.)

Hospital Bed Density

3.4 beds/1,000 population (2012)

Infant Mortality Rate

female

3 deaths/1,000 live births (2018 est.)

male

3.4 deaths/1,000 live births (2018 est.)

total

3.2 deaths/1,000 live births (2018 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)

Life Expectancy At Birth

female

85.2 years (2018 est.)

male

79.7 years (2018 est.)

total population

82.4 years (2018 est.)

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write (2015 est.)

female

99% (2015 est.)

male

99.4% (2015 est.)

total population

99.2% (2015 est.)

Major Urban Areas Population

4.21 million ROME (capital), 3.132 million Milan, 2.198 million Naples, 1.786 million Turin, 874,000 Bergamo, 854,000 Palermo (2018)

Maternal Mortality Rate

4 deaths/100,000 live births (2015 est.)

Median Age

female

46.9 years (2018 est.)

male

44.7 years

total

45.8 years

Mother S Mean Age At First Birth

30.7 years (2014 est.)

Nationality

adjective

Italian

noun

Italian(s)

Net Migration Rate

3.7 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2017 est.)

Obesity Adult Prevalence Rate

19.9% (2016)

Physicians Density

4.02 physicians/1,000 population (2016)

Population

62,246,674 (July 2018 est.)

Population Growth Rate

0.16% (2018 est.)

Religions

Christian 80% (overwhelmingly Roman Catholic with very small groups of Jehovah's Witnesses and Protestants), Muslim (about 800,000 to 1 million), atheist and agnostic 20%

Sanitation Facility Access

improved: urban: 99.5% of population (2015 est.)

rural: 99.6% of population (2015 est.)

total: 99.5% of population (2015 est.)

unimproved: urban: 0.5% of population (2015 est.)

rural: 0.4% of population (2015 est.)

total: 0.5% of population (2015 est.)

School Life Expectancy Primary To Tertiary Education

female

17 years (2014)

male

16 years (2014)

total

16 years (2014)

Sex Ratio

0-14 years

1.04 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

15-24 years

1 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

25-54 years

0.98 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

55-64 years

0.94 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

65 years and over

0.75 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

at birth

1.06 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

total population

0.93 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

Total Fertility Rate

1.45 children born/woman (2018 est.)

Unemployment Youth Ages 15 24

female

39.6% (2016 est.)

male

36.5% (2016 est.)

total

37.8% (2016 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

0.29% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.)

urban population

70.4% of total population (2018)

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)

Capital

daylight saving time

+1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October

geographic coordinates

41 54 N, 12 29 E

name

Rome

time difference

UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

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

Constitution

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 five 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 2012; note - a referendum held on 4 December 2016 on constitutional amendments was defeated (2017)

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 (2017)

Country Name

conventional long form

Italian Republic

conventional short form

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)

former

Kingdom of Italy

local long form

Repubblica Italiana

local short form

Italia

Diplomatic Representation From The Us

chief of mission

Ambassador Lewis EISENBERG (since 4 October 2017); note - also accredited to San Marino

consulate(s) general

Florence, Milan, Naples

embassy

Via Vittorio Veneto 121, 00187-Rome

FAX

[39] 06-488-2672

mailing address

PSC 59, Box 100, APO AE 09624

telephone

[39] 06-4674-1

Diplomatic Representation In The Us

chancery

3000 Whitehaven Street NW, Washington, DC 20008

chief of mission

Ambassador Armando VARRICCHIO (since 2 March 2016)

consulate(s)

Charlotte (NC), Cleveland (OH), Detroit (MI), Hattiesburg (MS), Honolulu (HI), New Orleans, Newark (NJ), Norfolk (VA), Pittsburgh (PA), Portland (OR), Seattle

consulate(s) general

Boston, Chicago, Detroit, Houston, Miami, New York, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, San Francisco

FAX

[1] (202) 518-2151

telephone

[1] (202) 612-4400

Executive Branch

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

chief of state

President Sergio MATTARELLA (since 3 February 2015)

election results

Sergio MATTARELLA (PD) elected president; electoral college vote count in fourth round - 665 out of 1,009 (505-vote threshold)

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 31 January 2015 (next to be held in 2022); prime minister appointed by the president, confirmed by parliament

head of government

Prime Minister Giuseppe CONTE (since 1 June 2018); the prime minister's official title is President of the Council of Ministers

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 red and green, 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

Government Type

parliamentary republic

Independence

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

International Law Organization Participation

accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

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, MINUSMA, 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, UNRWA, UNTSO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

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, courts, and courts of appeal)

Legal System

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

Legislative Branch

description

bicameral Parliament or Parlamento consists of:Senate or Senato della Repubblica (321 seats; 116 members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote, 193 members in multi-seat constituencies and 6 members in multi-seat constituencies abroad directly elected by party-list proportional representation vote to serve 5-year terms and 6 ex-officio members appointed by the president of the Republic to serve for life) Chamber of Deputies or Camera dei Deputati (630 seats; 629 members directly elected in single- and multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote and 1 member from Valle d'Aosta elected by simple majority vote; members serve 5-year terms)

election results

Senate - percent of vote by party - center-right coalition 37.5% (L 17.6%, FI 14.4%, FdI 4.3%, UdC 1.2%), M5S 32.2%, center-left coalition (PD 19.1%, +E 2.3%, I 0.5%, CP 0.5%, SVP-PATT 0.4%), LeU 3.3%; seats by party - center-right coalition 77(L 37, FI 33, FdI 7), M5S 68, center-left coalition 44(PD 43, SVP-PATT 1), LeU 4; composition - men208, women 113, percent of women 35.2% Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - center-right coalition 37% (L 17.4%, FI 14%, FdI 4.4%, UdC 1.3%), M5S 33%, center-left coalition 22.9% (PD 18.8%, E+ 2.6%, I 0.6%, CP 0.5%, SVP-PATT 0.4%); seats by party - center-right coalition 151 (L73, FI 59, FdI 19), M5S 133, center-left coalition 88 (PD 86, SVP 2), LeU 14; composition - men 451, women 179, percent of women 28.4%; note - total Parliament percent of women 30.7%

elections

Senate - last held on 4 March 2018 (next to be held on March 2023) Chamber of Deputies - last held on 4 March 2018 (next to be held on March 2023); President MATTARELLA dissolved parliament on 28 December 2017, triggering an early election

National Anthem

lyrics/music

Goffredo MAMELI/Michele NOVARO

name

"Il Canto degli Italiani" (The Song of the Italians)

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 Holiday

Republic Day, 2 June (1946)

National Symbol S

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

Political Parties And Leaders

Ruling left-center-right coalition: Civic Choice or SC [Enrico ZANETTI]; Democratic Centre or CD [Bruno TABACCI]; Democratic Party or PD [Maurizio MARTINA]; Popular Alliance or AP [Angelino ALFANO] (formerly New Center-Right or NCD); Union of the Center or UdC [Pier Fernando CASSINI]; Center-right opposition: Brothers of Italy-National Alliance or FdI-AN [Giorgia MELONI, Ignazio LA RUSSA, and Guido CROSETTO]; Forza Italia or FI [Silvio BERLUSCONI] (formerly People of Freedom or PdL); Northern League (Lega Nord) or Lega [Matteo SALVINI]; Other parties and parliamentary groups: Democratic and Progressive Movement or MDP [Roberto SPERANZA]; Five Star Movement or M5S [Luigi DI MAIO]; Liberal Popular Alliance or ALA [Denis VERDINI]; Sinistra Italiani or SI [Nicola FRATOIANNI] (formerly Sinistra Ecologia Liberta or SEL); South Tyrolean People's Party or SVP [Philipp ACHAMMER]; Trentino Tyrolean Autonomist Party (Partito Autonomista Trentino Tirolese) or PATT [Franco PANIZZA, secretary]

Suffrage

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

Agriculture Products

fruits, vegetables, grapes, potatoes, sugar beets, soybeans, grain, olives; beef, dairy products; fish

Budget

expenditures

948.1 billion (2017 est.)

revenues

903.3 billion (2017 est.)

Budget Surplus Or Deficit

-2.3% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Central Bank Discount Rate

0.25% (31 December 2013)

0.75% (31 December 2012)

note

this is the European Central Bank's rate on the marginal lending facility, which offers overnight credit to banks in the euro area

Commercial Bank Prime Lending Rate

3% (31 December 2017 est.)

3.5% (31 December 2016 est.)

Current Account Balance

$53.42 billion (2017 est.)

$47.64 billion (2016 est.)

Debt External

$2.444 trillion (31 March 2016 est.)

$2.3 trillion (31 March 2015 est.)

Distribution Of Family Income Gini Index

31.9 (2012 est.)

27.3 (1995)

Economy Overview

Italy’s economy comprises a developed industrial north, dominated by private companies, and a less-developed, highly subsidized, agricultural south, with a legacy of unemployment and underdevelopment. The Italian economy is driven in large part by the manufacture of high-quality consumer goods produced by small and medium-sized enterprises, many of them family-owned. Italy also has a sizable underground economy, which by some estimates accounts for as much as 17% of GDP. These activities are most common within the agriculture, construction, and service sectors.Italy is the third-largest economy in the euro zone, but its exceptionally high public debt and structural impediments to growth have rendered it vulnerable to scrutiny by financial markets. Public debt has increased steadily since 2007, reaching 131% of GDP in 2017. Investor concerns about Italy and the broader euro-zone crisis eased in 2013, bringing down Italy's borrowing costs on sovereign government debt from euro-era records. The government still faces pressure from investors and European partners to sustain its efforts to address Italy's longstanding structural economic problems, including labor market inefficiencies, a sluggish judicial system, and a weak banking sector. Italy’s economy returned to modest growth in late 2014 for the first time since 2011. In 2015-16, Italy’s economy grew at about 1% each year, and in 2017 growth accelerated to 1.5% of GDP. In 2017, overall unemployment was 11.4%, but youth unemployment remained high at 37.1%. GDP growth is projected to slow slightly in 2018.

Exchange Rates

euros (EUR) per US dollar -

0.885 (2017 est.)

0.903 (2016 est.)

0.9214 (2015 est.)

0.885 (2014 est.)

0.7634 (2013 est.)

Exports

$496.3 billion (2017 est.)

$454.1 billion (2016 est.)

Exports Commodities

engineering products, textiles and clothing, production machinery, motor vehicles, transport equipment, chemicals; foodstuffs, beverages, and tobacco; minerals, nonferrous metals

Exports Partners

Germany 12.5%, France 10.3%, US 9%, Spain 5.2%, UK 5.2%, Switzerland 4.6% (2017)

Fiscal Year

calendar year

Gdp Composition By End Use

exports of goods and services

31.4% (2017 est.)

government consumption

18.6% (2017 est.)

household consumption

61% (2017 est.)

imports of goods and services

-28.3% (2017 est.)

investment in fixed capital

17.5% (2017 est.)

investment in inventories

-0.2% (2017 est.)

Gdp Composition By Sector Of Origin

agriculture

2.1% (2017 est.)

industry

23.9% (2017 est.)

services

73.9% (2017 est.)

Gdp Official Exchange Rate

$1.939 trillion (2017 est.) (2017 est.)

Gdp Per Capita Ppp

$38,200 (2017 est.)

$37,600 (2016 est.)

$37,200 (2015 est.)

note

data are in 2017 dollars

Gdp Purchasing Power Parity

$2.317 trillion (2017 est.)

$2.282 trillion (2016 est.)

$2.263 trillion (2015 est.)

note

data are in 2017 dollars

Gdp Real Growth Rate

1.5% (2017 est.)

0.9% (2016 est.)

1% (2015 est.)

Gross National Saving

20.3% of GDP (2017 est.)

19.7% of GDP (2016 est.)

18.8% of GDP (2015 est.)

Household Income Or Consumption By Percentage Share

highest 10%

26.8% (2000)

lowest 10%

26.8% (2000)

Imports

$432.9 billion (2017 est.)

$389.8 billion (2016 est.)

Imports Commodities

engineering products, chemicals, transport equipment, energy products, minerals and nonferrous metals, textiles and clothing; food, beverages, tobacco

Imports Partners

Germany 16.3%, France 8.8%, China 7.1%, Netherlands 5.6%, Spain 5.3%, Belgium 4.5% (2017)

Industrial Production Growth Rate

2.1% (2017 est.)

Industries

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

Inflation Rate Consumer Prices

1.3% (2017 est.)

-0.1% (2016 est.)

Labor Force

25.94 million (2017 est.)

Labor Force By Occupation

agriculture

3.9%

industry

28.3%

services

67.8% (2011)

Market Value Of Publicly Traded Shares

$587.3 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$615.5 billion (31 December 2013 est.)

$480.5 billion (31 December 2012 est.)

Population Below Poverty Line

29.9% (2012 est.)

Public Debt

131.8% of GDP (2017 est.)

132% of GDP (2016 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

Reserves Of Foreign Exchange And Gold

$151.2 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$130.6 billion (31 December 2015 est.)

Stock Of Broad Money

$1.347 trillion (31 December 2017 est.)

$1.101 trillion (31 December 2016 est.)

Stock Of Direct Foreign Investment Abroad

$671.8 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$584.1 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Stock Of Direct Foreign Investment At Home

$552.1 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$471.7 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Stock Of Domestic Credit

$3.422 trillion (31 December 2017 est.)

$3.024 trillion (31 December 2016 est.)

Stock Of Narrow Money

$1.347 trillion (31 December 2017 est.)

$1.101 trillion (31 December 2016 est.)

note

see entry for the European Union for money supply for the entire euro area; the European Central Bank (ECB) controls monetary policy for the 18 members of the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU); individual members of the EMU do not control the quantity of money circulating within their own borders

Taxes And Other Revenues

46.6% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Unemployment Rate

11.3% (2017 est.)

11.7% (2016 est.)

Carbon Dioxide Emissions From Consumption Of Energy

351 million Mt (2017 est.)

Crude Oil Exports

13,790 bbl/day (2017 est.)

Crude Oil Imports

1.341 million bbl/day (2017 est.)

Crude Oil Production

77,530 bbl/day (2017 est.)

Crude Oil Proved Reserves

487.8 million bbl (1 January 2018 est.)

Electricity Access

electrification - total population

100% (2016)

Electricity Consumption

293.5 billion kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity Exports

6.155 billion kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity From Fossil Fuels

54% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)

Electricity From Hydroelectric Plants

14% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity From Nuclear Fuels

0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity From Other Renewable Sources

32% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity Imports

43.18 billion kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity Installed Generating Capacity

114.2 million kW (2016 est.)

Electricity Production

275.3 billion kWh (2016 est.)

Natural Gas Consumption

75.15 billion cu m (2017 est.)

Natural Gas Exports

271.8 million cu m (2017 est.)

Natural Gas Imports

69.66 billion cu m (2017 est.)

Natural Gas Production

5.55 billion cu m (2017 est.)

Natural Gas Proved Reserves

38.11 billion cu m (1 January 2018 est.)

Refined Petroleum Products Consumption

1.236 million bbl/day (2017 est.)

Refined Petroleum Products Exports

615,900 bbl/day (2017 est.)

Refined Petroleum Products Imports

422,500 bbl/day (2017 est.)

Refined Petroleum Products Production

1.607 million bbl/day (2017 est.)

Broadband Fixed Subscriptions

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

27 (2017 est.)

total

16,586,376 (2017 est.)

Broadcast Media

two Italian media giants dominate - the publicly owned Radiotelevisione Italiana (RAI) with 3 national terrestrial stations and privately owned Mediaset with 3 national terrestrial stations; a large number of private stations and Sky Italia - a satellite TV network; RAI operates 3 AM/FM nationwide radio stations; about 1,300 commercial radio stations (2007)

Internet Country Code

.it

Internet Users

percent of population

61.3% (July 2016 est.)

total

38,025,661 (July 2016 est.)

Telephone System

domestic

high-capacity cable and microwave radio relay trunks; 33 per 100 for fixed-line and 135 per 100 for mobile-cellular subscriptions (2017)

general assessment

modern, well-developed, fast; fully automated telephone, telex, and data services; highest mobile penetration rates in Europe; leading edge of development with 5G; government selects operators for 5G trials in five cities (2017)

international

country code - 39; a series of submarine cables provide links to Asia, Middle East, Europe, North Africa, and US; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (with a total of 5 antennas - 3 for Atlantic Ocean and 2 for Indian Ocean), 1 Inmarsat (Atlantic Ocean region), and NA Eutelsat; Global Cloud Xchange building the EAGLE submarine cable system linking Italy to Hong Kong; (2017)

Telephones Fixed Lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

33 (2017 est.)

total subscriptions

20,700,659 (2017 est.)

Telephones Mobile Cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

135 (2017 est.)

total subscriptions

83,871,543 (2017 est.)

Airports

129 (2013)

Airports With Paved Runways

1,524 to 2,437 m

18 (2017)

2,438 to 3,047 m

31 (2017)

914 to 1,523 m

29 (2017)

over 3,047 m

9 (2017)

total

98 (2017)

under 914 m

11 (2017)

Airports With Unpaved Runways

1,524 to 2,437 m

1 (2013)

914 to 1,523 m

10 (2013)

total

31 (2013)

under 914 m

20 (2013)

Civil Aircraft Registration Country Code Prefix

I (2016)

Heliports

5 (2013)

Merchant Marine

by type

bulk carrier 65, container ship 10, general cargo 145, oil tanker 135, other 1075 (2017)

total

1,430 (2017)

National Air Transport System

annual freight traffic on registered air carriers

945,433,732 mt-km (2015)

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers

26,036,010 (2015)

inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers

382 (2015)

number of registered air carriers

9 (2015)

Pipelines

20223 km gas, 1393 km oil, 1574 km refined products (2013)

Ports And Terminals

container port(s) (TEUs)

Genoa (2,297,917), Gioia Tauro (2,797,000) (2016)

LNG terminal(s) (import)

La Spezia, Panigaglia, Porto Levante

major seaport(s)

Augusta, Cagliari, Genoa, Livorno, Taranto, Trieste, Venice

oil terminal(s)

Melilli (Santa Panagia) oil terminal, Sarroch oil terminal

Railways

narrow gauge

122.3 km 1.000-m gauge (122.3 km electrified) (2014)

note

1289.3 0.950-m gauge (151.3 km electrified)

standard gauge

18,770.1 km 1.435-m gauge (12,893.6 km electrified) (2014)

total

20,182 km (2014)

Roadways

paved

487,700 km (includes 6,700 km of expressways) (2007)

total

487,700 km (2007)

Waterways

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

Military Branches

Italian Armed Forces: Army (Esercito Italiano, EI), Navy (Marina Militare Italiana, MMI), Italian Air Force (Aeronautica Militare Italiana, AMI), Carabinieri Corps (Arma dei Carabinieri, CC), Financial Guard (Guardia di Finanza) (2015)

Military Expenditures

1.12% of GDP (2017)

1.51% of GDP (2016)

1.39% of GDP (2015)

1.47% of GDP (2014)

1.59% of GDP (2013)

Military Service Age And Obligation

18-25 years of age for voluntary military service; women may serve in any military branch; Italian citizenship required; 1-year service obligation (2013)

Disputes International

Italy's long coastline and developed economy entices tens of thousands of illegal immigrants from southeastern Europe and northern Africa

Illicit Drugs

important gateway for and consumer of Latin American cocaine and Southwest Asian heroin entering the European market; money laundering by organized crime and from smuggling

Refugees And Internally Displaced Persons

note

477,853 estimated refugee and migrant arrivals by sea (January 2015-December 2018); hosts an estimated 155,619 migrants and asylum seekers as of the end of September 2018; 119,369 arrivals in 2017

refugees (country of origin)

17,171 (Afghanistan), 18,026 (Nigeria), 15,966 (Pakistan), 15,641 (Somalia), 13,206 (Mali), 10,273 (Gambia), 7,940 (Eritrea), 6,412 (Cote d'Ivoire) (2017), 6,197 (Senegal), 12,535 (Ukraine) (2018) note - estimate represents asylum applicants since the beginning of the Ukraine crisis in 2014 to September 2017

stateless persons

715 (2017)