Rome, 16/05/2018

Presented in a press conference on May 16th 2018 by President Giorgio Alleva, the 26th Annual Report of ISTAT (Italian National Institute of Statistics) “develops a documented reflection on the present situation of Italy, offering a picture of recent changes, and identifying prospects and growth potential of the Country”. This year analysis is developed through the theme of economic and social networks and concerns business, labor market, kinship and friendship and mutual aid in social relationships.

Let’s see the most significant highlights of this year’s report.

  • The resident population as of 01/01/2018 amounts to 60.5 million, down for the third year in a row (100.000 less than 2017).
  • In 2017, GDP increased by 1.5%, a growth that however remains lower than that of the other major European economies.
  • Exports of goods and services grew by 5.4%, confirming the increasing level of competitiveness of Italian companies on international markets. Imports grew by 5.3%.
  • In 2017 the employment rate was 58%, meaning +1.2% compared to 2017, yet still over 9 point lower than the European average. The unemployed are 2.9 million (11.2%). Employment growth spanned over the first three months of 2018, involving mostly men and the young.
  • Interpersonal relationships: about 6 million people aged 14 and over claim to have access to a whole range of relationships – close relatives, other relatives, friends, and associative networks – and almost 60% say they have a network of friends and a support network which is external to the family unit. Three million, instead, declare they have no network outside the family, meaning they do not have relations with friends or a support network and do not take part to any kind of associations.
  • One-person households are increasing (31.6% in 2015-16, compared to 21.5% in 1997-98), while those made of 5 or more people are lessening (just over 5%).
  • Forms of virtual sociality (through the Internet and social networks) flank the traditional ones and allow to keep contacts and widen networks, although they are perceived as less pleasant compared to face-to-face relationships.

Download the whole Annual Report 2018 – La situazione del Paese or its Synthesis (both in Italian).

The Easy Diplomacy Team