Capital

Italien

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

Citizenship

Italien

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

Legal system

Italien

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

Suffrage

Italien

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

Area

Italien

total: 301,340 sq km

land: 294,140 sq km

water: 7,200 sq km

note: includes Sardinia and Sicily

Land use

Italien

agricultural land: 47.1% (2018 est.)

arable land: 22.8% (2018 est.)

permanent crops: 8.6% (2018 est.)

permanent pasture: 15.7% (2018 est.)

forest: 31.4% (2018 est.)

other: 21.5% (2018 est.)

Location

Italien

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

Age structure

Italien

0-14 years: 12.08% (male 3,772,041/female 3,600,946)

15-64 years: 64.61% (male 19,430,217/female 19,997,042)

65 years and over: 23.31% (2023 est.) (male 6,248,663/female 7,972,946)

Birth rate

Italien

7 births/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Death rate

Italien

11.3 deaths/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Languages

Italien

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)

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.

Life expectancy at birth

Italien

total population: 82.8 years (2023 est.)

male: 80.5 years

female: 85.3 years

Major urban areas - population

Italien

4.316 million ROME (capital), 3.155 million Milan, 2.179 million Naples, 1.802 million Turin, 913,000 Bergamo, 850,000 Palermo (2023)

Median age

Italien

total: 48.1 years (2023 est.)

male: 47 years

female: 49.1 years

Mother's mean age at first birth

Italien

31.4 years (2020 est.)

Net migration rate

Italien

3.2 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Population distribution

Italien

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

Population growth rate

Italien

-0.11% (2023 est.)

Total fertility rate

Italien

1.24 children born/woman (2023 est.)

Urbanization

Italien

urban population: 72% of total population (2023)

rate of urbanization: 0.27% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Education expenditures

Italien

4.3% of GDP (2020 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

Italien

total: 16 years

male: 16 years

female: 17 years (2020)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

Italien

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

Industrial production growth rate

Italien

13.46% (2021 est.)

Labor force

Italien

25.012 million (2021 est.)

Population below poverty line

Italien

20.1% (2018 est.)

Unemployment rate

Italien

9.83% (2021 est.)

9.16% (2020 est.)

9.95% (2019 est.)

Public debt

Italien

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Italien

1.87% (2021 est.)

-0.14% (2020 est.)

0.61% (2019 est.)

Exports

Italien

$687.948 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$559.952 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$636.153 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Exports - partners

Italien

Germany 12%, France 11%, United States 10%, United Kingdom 5%, Spain 5%, Switzerland 5% (2019)

Imports

Italien

$637.934 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$490.684 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$568.796 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Imports - partners

Italien

Germany 16%, France 9%, China 7%, Spain 5%, Netherlands 5%, Belgium 5% (2019)

Airports

Italien

129 (2021)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

Italien

total: 18,128,787 (2020 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 30 (2020 est.)

Internet users

Italien

total: 44.25 million (2021 est.)

percent of population: 75% (2021 est.)

Railways

Italien

total: 18,475 km (2020) 12,936 km electrified

1289.3 0.950-mm gauge (151.3 km electrified)

Roadways

Italien

total: 487,700 km (2007)

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

Telephones - fixed lines

Italien

total subscriptions: 19,994,902 (2021 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 34 (2021 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

Italien

total subscriptions: 78,114,933 (2021 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 132 (2021 est.)

Waterways

Italien

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

Disputes - international

Italien

Italy-Austria-Switzerland: borders are shifting because glacier peaks that had served as a natural boundary are melting