Country explorer: Italy
EXPERIMENTAL
2024
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Overview
Italy is a high-income country in Europe with a medium-sized population. Its economy has been volatile in recent decades, and is based on tourism, manufacturing and agriculture.
Italy is home to the most UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the world, with 55 sites including the historic centers of Rome, Florence, and Venice.
Economy
Italy's economy has shown modest GDP per capita growth amidst high-income countries, characterized by fluctuating unemployment rates and moderate inflation, reflecting challenges in achieving robust economic expansion and labor market resilience.
Demographics
Italy has experienced a notable demographic shift characterized by a stagnant population growth, relatively high net migration inflows, persistently low fertility rates, and an increase in life expectancy, mirroring the broader aging trends seen in many high-income countries but with a particularly acute challenge in sustaining its population size.
Basic needs
Italy has consistently maintained high access to basic needs such as clean cooking fuels, electricity, and safely managed drinking water and sanitation, comparable to its high-income European peers, showcasing its commitment to sustaining essential living standards.
Human development
Italy has seen a slight but steady improvement in its Human Development Index (HDI), a reduction in child mortality rates, and an increase in literacy rates, indicating gradual progress in education, health, and living standards, paralleling trends in other high-income countries but with distinctive bouts of stagnation and recovery reflective of its unique socio-economic challenges.
Environment & energy
Italy has seen a steady increase in forest area, a notable rise in the contribution of renewable sources to its electricity production amidst a drop in CO2 emissions per capita, reflecting a transition towards more sustainable energy practices, in line with broader European trends towards environmental sustainability.
Technology & innovation
Italy has seen moderate but consistent growth in internet usage, mobile phone subscriptions, and scientific output, reflecting a steady embrace of digital technologies and innovation, albeit at a pace that slightly lags behind some high-income European counterparts.
Culture & society
Italy has experienced a notable increase in its immigrant population, a gradual enhancement of gender equality albeit at a slower pace than some of its European peers, an improving but still moderate level of self-reported life satisfaction, and a rising age dependency ratio indicative of an aging society, reflecting broader trends of demographic change and societal progress common among high-income countries.
Governance
Italy has seen a modest improvement in governance indicators, such as rule of law and political civil liberties, aligning its trajectory with other high-income countries, albeit grappling with persistent challenges in corruption perceptions and press freedom.