Italy
Italian RepublicRepubblica Italiana
parliamentary republicIndependence 17 March 1861 (Kingdom of Italy proclaimed
Italy as the 2017 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 164 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.
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Introduction
1 fieldBackground
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.
Geography
Southern Europe, a peninsula extending into the central Mediterranean Sea, northeast of Tunisia
19 fieldsLocation
Southern Europe, a peninsula extending into the central Mediterranean Sea, northeast of Tunisia
Natural resources
coal, mercury, zinc, potash, marble, barite, asbestos, pumice, fluorspar, feldspar, pyrite (sulfur), natural gas and crude oil reserves, fish, arable land
Land use
- agricultural land:
- 47.1%;
- arable land 22.8%;
- permanent crops 8.6%;
- permanent pasture 15.7%
- forest:
- 31.4%
- other:
- 21.5% (2011 est.)
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
Natural hazards
regional risks include landslides, mudflows, avalanches, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, flooding; land subsidence in Venice
- volcanism:
- 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
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
Geography - note
strategic location dominating central Mediterranean as well as southern sea and air approaches to Western Europe
People and Society
33 fieldsAge structuremale left, female right · (2017 est.)
Per 1,000 population(2017 est.)
Male · female
Ethnic groups
Italian (includes small clusters of German-, French-, and Slovene-Italians in the north and Albanian-Italians and Greek-Italians in the south)
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)
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%
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
Sex ratio
- at birth:
- 1.06 male(s)/female
- 0-14 years:
- 1.04 male(s)/female
- 15-24 years:
- 1 male(s)/female
- 25-54 years:
- 0.98 male(s)/female
- 55-64 years:
- 0.94 male(s)/female
- 65 years and over:
- 0.75 male(s)/female
- total population:
- 0.93 male(s)/female (2016 est.)
Government
Parliamentary republic; President Sergio MATTARELLA (since 3 February 2015); Prime Minister Paolo GENTILONI (since 12 December 2016)
22 fieldsSenate, 315 seats, elected 24-25 February 2013seats by party
Chamber of Deputies, 629 seats, elected 24-25 February 2013seats by party
Country name
- conventional long form:
- Italian Republic
- conventional short form:
- Italy
- local long form:
- Repubblica Italiana
- local short form:
- Italia
- former:
- Kingdom of 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)
Capital
- 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
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 (Venetia)
- 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)
Constitution
- 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
- 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)
Legal system
civil law system; judicial review of legislation under certain conditions in Constitutional Court
International law organization participation
accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
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
Executive branch
- chief of state:
- President Sergio MATTARELLA (since 3 February 2015)
- head of government:
- Prime Minister Paolo GENTILONI (since 12 December 2016);
- note - Prime Minister Matteo RENZI (since 22 February 2014) resigned 12 December 2016;
- the prime minister's official title is President of the Council of Ministers
- 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
- 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
- election results:
- Sergio MATTARELLA (PD) elected president; electoral college vote count in fourth round - 665 out of 1,009 (505-vote threshold)
Legislative branch
- description:
- bicameral Parliament or Parlamento consists of the Senate or Senato della Repubblica (322 seats; 315 members directly elected in single- and multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote to serve 5-year terms and 7 ex-officio members appointed by the president of the Republic to serve for life) and the 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)
- elections:
- Senate - last held on 24-25 February 2013 (next to be held in May 2018);
- Chamber of Deputies - last held on 24-25 February 2013 (next to be held by 20 May 2018)
- election results:
- Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - center-left coalition 123 (PD 111, SEL 7, SVP 2, other 3), center-right coalition 117 (PdL 98, LN 18, other 1), M5S 54, centrist coalition 19, other 2;
- Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - NA;
- seats by party - center-left coalition 345 (PD 297, SEL 37, CD 6 SVP 5), center-right coalition 125 (PdL 98, LN 18, FdI-AN 9), M5S 109, centrist coalition 47, other 3
Judicial branch
- highest court(s):
- 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)
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 [Matteo RENZI]; 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 [Silvio BERLUSCONI] (formerly People of Freedom or PdL); Northern League or LN [Matteo SALVINI]
- Other parties and parliamentary groups:
- Five Star Movement or M5S [Luigi DI MAIO]; Liberal Popular Alliance or ALA [Denis VERDINI]; Movement of Democrats and Progressives or DP [Roberto SPERANZA]; Sinistra Italiani [Nicola FRATOIANNI] (formerly Sinistra Ecologia Liberta or SEL); South Tyrolean People's Party or SVP [Philipp ACHAMMER]
Political pressure groups and leaders
- manufacturers and merchants associations:
- Confcommercio; Confindustria
- organized farm groups:
- Confcoltivatori; Confagricoltura
- major trade union confederations:
- Confederazione Generale Italiana del Lavoro or CGIL [Susanna CAMUSSO] (left wing); Confederazione Italiana dei Sindacati Lavoratori or CISL [Raffaele BONANNI] (Roman Catholic centrist); Unione Italiana del Lavoro or UIL [Luigi ANGELETTI] (lay centrist)
- other:
- Roman Catholic Church
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, UN Security Council (temporary), UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, Union Latina, UNMOGIP, UNRWA, UNTSO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in the US
- chief of mission:
- Ambassador Armando VARRICCHIO (since 2 March 2016)
- chancery:
- 3000 Whitehaven Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
- telephone:
- [1] (202) 612-4400
- FAX:
- [1] (202) 518-2151
- consulate(s) general:
- Boston, Chicago, Detroit, Houston, Miami, New York, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, San Francisco
- consulate(s):
- Charlotte (NC), Cleveland (OH), Detroit (MI), Hattiesburg (MS), Honolulu (HI), New Orleans, Newark (NJ), Norfolk (VA), Pittsburgh (PA), Portland (OR), Seattle
Diplomatic representation from the US
- chief of mission:
- Ambassador Lewis EISENBERG (since 4 October 2017) note - also accredited to San Marino
- embassy:
- Via Vittorio Veneto 121, 00187-Rome
- mailing address:
- PSC 59, Box 100, APO AE 09624
- telephone:
- (+39)06.46741
- FAX:
- [39] (06) 4674-2244
- consulate(s) general:
- Florence, Milan, Naples
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
National anthem
- name:
- "Il Canto degli Italiani" (The Song of the Italians)
- lyrics/music:
- Goffredo MAMELI/Michele NOVARO
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)
Economy
Italy has a diversified economy, which is divided into a developed industrial north, dominated by private companies, and a less-developed, highly subsidized, agricultural south, where unemployment is higher.
41 fieldsGDP - composition, by sector of origin(2016 est.)
Trading partnersexports left, imports right
By end use% of GDP
Economy - overview
Italy has a diversified economy, which is divided into a developed industrial north, dominated by private companies, and a less-developed, highly subsidized, agricultural south, where unemployment is higher. 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 133% of GDP in 2016. 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 impediments to growth, such as 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 late 2011. In 2015-16, Italy’s economy grew 0.7% each year. In 2016, overall unemployment was 11.7%, but youth unemployment remains high at 37.1%.
Gross national saving
19.6% of GDP (2016 est.) · 18.8% of GDP (2015 est.) · 18.9% of GDP (2014 est.) country comparison to the world: 99
Agriculture - products
- fruits, vegetables, grapes, potatoes, sugar beets, soybeans, grain, olives;
- beef, dairy products;
- fish
Industries
tourism, machinery, iron and steel, chemicals, food processing, textiles, motor vehicles, clothing, footwear, ceramics
Distribution of family income - Gini index
31.9 (2012 est.) · 27.3 (1995) country comparison to the world: 116
Public debt
132.5% of GDP (2016 est.) · 132.1% of GDP (2015 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 the central government, state government, local government and social security funds country comparison to the world: 4
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 country comparison to the world: 140
Commercial bank prime lending rate
3.5% (31 December 2016 est.) · 4.13% (31 December 2015 est.) country comparison to the world: 162
Stock of narrow money
$1.101 trillion (31 December 2016 est.) · $1.027 trillion (31 December 2015 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 country comparison to the world: 7
Stock of broad money
$1.519 trillion (31 December 2016 est.) · $1.497 trillion (31 December 2015 est.) country comparison to the world: 11
Stock of domestic credit
$3.024 trillion (31 December 2016 est.) · $3.053 trillion (31 December 2015 est.) country comparison to the world: 7
Current account balance
$47.31 billion (2016 est.) · $26.12 billion (2015 est.) country comparison to the world: 11
Exports - commodities
- engineering products, textiles and clothing, production machinery, motor vehicles, transport equipment, chemicals;
- foodstuffs, beverages, and tobacco;
- minerals, nonferrous metals
Imports - commodities
engineering products, chemicals, transport equipment, energy products, minerals and nonferrous metals, textiles and clothing; food, beverages, tobacco
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold
$136 billion (31 December 2016 est.) · $130.6 billion (31 December 2015 est.) country comparison to the world: 17
Debt - external
$2.444 trillion (31 March 2016 est.) · $2.3 trillion (31 March 2015 est.) country comparison to the world: 10
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home
$471.7 billion (31 December 2016 est.) · $457.1 billion (31 December 2015 est.) country comparison to the world: 18
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad
$584.1 billion (31 December 2016 est.) · $587.3 billion (31 December 2015 est.) country comparison to the world: 16
Exchange rates
euros (EUR) per US dollar - 0.9214 (2016 est.) · 0.885 (2015 est.) · 0.885 (2014 est.) · 0.7634 (2013 est.) · 0.7752 (2012 est.)
Energy
24 fieldsElectrification% of population · (2016)
Installed generating capacity, 117 million kW(2015 est.)
Electricity - from fossil fuels
52.8% of total installed capacity (2015 est.) country comparison to the world: 146
Electricity - from nuclear fuels
0% of total installed capacity (2015 est.) country comparison to the world: 113
Electricity - from hydroelectric plants
12.5% of total installed capacity (2015 est.) country comparison to the world: 114
Electricity - from other renewable sources
28.6% of total installed capacity (2015 est.) country comparison to the world: 18
Crude oil - proved reserves
556.7 million bbl (1 January 2017 es) country comparison to the world: 48
Natural gas - proved reserves
49.13 billion cu m (1 January 2017 es) country comparison to the world: 65
Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy
362 million Mt (2013 est.) country comparison to the world: 19
Communications
6 fieldsPer 100 inhabitants(July 2016 est.)
Telephone system
- general assessment:
- modern, well-developed, fast; fully automated telephone, telex, and data services
- domestic:
- high-capacity cable and microwave radio relay trunks
- 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 (2015)
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)
Transportation
12 fieldsAirports by runway lengthpaved left, unpaved right
Networkskm
National air transport system
- number of registered air carriers:
- 9; inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 382
- annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers:
- 26,036,010
- annual freight traffic on registered air carriers:
- 945,433,732 mt-km (2015)
Railways
- total:
- 20,181.7 km
- standard gauge:
- 18,770.1 km 1.435-m gauge (12,893.6 km electrified)
- narrow gauge:
- 122.3 km 1.000-m gauge (122.3 km electrified); 1,289.3 km 0.950-m gauge (151.3 km electrified) (2014)
country comparison to the world: 14
Roadways
- total:
- 487,700 km
- paved:
- 487,700 km (includes 6,700 km of expressways) (2007)
country comparison to the world: 15
Waterways
2,400 km (used for commercial traffic; of limited overall value compared to road and rail) (2012) country comparison to the world: 36
Merchant marine
- total:
- 681
- by type:
- bulk carrier 105, cargo 42, carrier 1, chemical tanker 164, container 21, liquefied gas 28, passenger 25, passenger/cargo 154, petroleum tanker 59, refrigerated cargo 4, roll on/roll off 39, specialized tanker 9, vehicle carrier 30
- foreign-owned:
- 90 (Denmark 4, France 2, Greece 7, Luxembourg 14, Netherlands 2, Nigeria 1, Norway 6, Singapore 1, Sweden 1, Switzerland 13, Taiwan 10, Turkey 4, UK 2, US 23)
- registered in other countries:
- 201 (Bahamas 1, Belize 3, Cayman Islands 7, Cyprus 6, Georgia 2, Gibraltar 4, Greece 5, Liberia 47, Malta 45, Marshall Islands 1, Morocco 1, Netherlands 6, Panama 25, Portugal 12, Russia 14, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 4, Singapore 5, Slovakia 2, Spain 1, Sweden 5, Turkey 1, UK 3, unknown 1) (2010)
country comparison to the world: 17
Ports and terminals
- major seaport(s):
- Augusta, Cagliari, Genoa, Livorno, Taranto, Trieste, Venice
- oil terminal(s):
- Melilli (Santa Panagia) oil terminal, Sarroch oil terminal
- container port(s) (TEUs):
- Genoa (2,243,000), Gioia Tauro (3,512,000), La Spezia (1,300,000) (2015)
- LNG terminal(s) (import):
- La Spezia, Panigaglia, Porto Levante
Military and Security
3 fieldsMilitary 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 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)
Transnational Issues
3 fieldsDisputes - international
Italy's long coastline and developed economy entices tens of thousands of illegal immigrants from southeastern Europe and northern Africa
Refugees and internally displaced persons
- refugees (country of origin):
- 16,033 (Afghanistan);
- 14,336 (Somalia);
- 14,247 (Nigeria);
- 13,412 (Pakistan);
- 11,327 (Mali);
- 10,049 (Eritrea);
- 7,723 (Gambia);
- 5,805 (Cote d'Ivoire) (2016);
- 10,410 (Ukraine) (2017);
- note: estimate represents asylum applicants since Ukraine crisis began in 2014 until September 2017
- stateless persons:
- 701 (2016)
note: 449,235 estimated refugee and migrant arrivals by sea (January 2015 - November 2017)
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
Cite this entry
Central Intelligence Agency. “Italy.” The World Factbook 2017. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/italy/2017.