Italy
Government finance and cost-of-living data from Eurostat — spending, debt, tax, and comparative prices.
Headline stats
Debt peaked at 154.4% GDP in 2020 — now 137.1%.
Government debt
137.1% GDP
2025
EU27 avg: 81.7% GDP (2025)
Govt expenditure
50.4% GDP
2024
Budget deficit
3.1% GDP
2025
EU27 avg: 3.1% GDP (2025)
Tax revenue
14.1% GDP
2025
Public sector jobs
5,194k
2025
Tax rates
What Italy takes — statutory rates and effective burden on workers.
Labour tax wedge
31.1% of labour cost
2025
Top income tax rate
43%
2024
Corporate tax rate
27.9%
2024
Standard VAT rate
22%
2024
Labour tax wedge: effective % of gross labour cost (salary + employer contributions) going to income tax and social contributions for a single person at average wage. Source: Eurostat earn_nt_taxrate. Statutory rates: OECD Taxing Wages 2024 / EC Taxation Trends 2024.
Comparative prices
Italy is 4.3% cheaper than the EU average overall (2024). Index: EU27 = 100.
| Category | Price index | vs EU avg |
|---|---|---|
| Overall price level | 95.7 | -4.3% |
| Food & non-alcoholic drinks | 101.7 | +1.7% |
| Housing, utilities & energy | 93.4 | -6.6% |
| Restaurants & hotels | 106.9 | +6.9% |
| Transport | 95.7 | -4.3% |
| Health | 116.6 | +16.6% |
| Education | 90.3 | -9.7% |
| Clothing & footwear | 106.9 | +6.9% |
| Recreation & culture | 93.9 | -6.1% |
| Alcohol & tobacco | 87.7 | -12.3% |
| Household furnishings | 96.6 | -3.4% |
| Communication | 85.7 | -14.3% |
| Miscellaneous | 96.6 | -3.4% |
Source: Eurostat prc_ppp_ind. EU27_2020 = 100. Green = cheaper than EU average.
Government debt since 2011
| Year | Debt (% GDP) | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 119.1 | — |
| 2012 | 125.9 | +6.8 |
| 2013 | 131.9 | +6 |
| 2014 | 134.8 | +2.9 |
| 2015 | 134.8 | 0 |
| 2016 | 134.2 | -0.6 |
| 2017 | 133.7 | -0.5 |
| 2018 | 134.2 | +0.5 |
| 2019 | 133.9 | -0.3 |
| 2020 | 154.4 | +20.5 |
| 2021 | 145.8 | -8.6 |
| 2022 | 138.4 | -7.4 |
| 2023 | 133.9 | -4.5 |
| 2024 | 134.7 | +0.8 |
| 2025 | 137.1 | +2.4 |
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Data sources
| Dataset | Source | Coverage |
|---|---|---|
| Govt expenditure / debt / deficit | Eurostat gov_10dd_edpt1 | 1995–2025 |
| Tax revenue | Eurostat gov_10a_taxag | 1995–2025 |
| Public employment (NACE O-Q) | Eurostat nama_10_a64_e | 1995–2024 |
| Tax breakdown (VAT, income, social) | Eurostat gov_10a_taxag | 2000–2023 |
| Labour tax wedge | Eurostat earn_nt_taxrate | 2000–2023 |
| Statutory tax rates (income, corporate, VAT) | OECD / EC Taxation Trends 2024 | 2024 |
| Comparative price levels (13 categories) | Eurostat prc_ppp_ind | 1995–2024 |