Business · Trade · 7 hrs ago
Italy’s manufacturing exports rose 53% from 2016 to 2025
Italy’s manufacturing exports rose 53% from 2016 to 2025, according to Gregorio De Felice, chief economist at Intesa Sanpaolo.
He shared the figure at an event during the 2026 Festival of Enterprise in Bergamo.
Italy’s overall export share of its economy rose from 25.6% in 2000 to 31.6% in 2025.
The manufacturing increase was greater than that recorded in the main European countries, De Felice said, citing product quality, innovation and small and medium-sized businesses as strengths.
Energy costs and geopolitical tensions remain pressures on exporters.
De Felice said companies should keep investing in technology and skills and expand into different markets.
Innovation is another resource for competitiveness: 69.2% of industrial companies carried out innovation activities between 2022 and 2024.
Italy’s manufacturing exports grew 53% between 2016 and 2025, according to Intesa Sanpaolo chief economist Gregorio De Felice.
De Felice said this growth exceeded that recorded in major European countries.
He attributed the performance to the quality of production, innovation and the contribution of small and medium-sized businesses.
Italy’s export propensity rose from 25.6% in 2000 to 31.6% in 2025.
De Felice said investment in technology and skills, and diversification of export markets, would be important amid geopolitical tensions and higher energy costs.
- Who
- Gregorio De Felice, chief economist at Intesa Sanpaolo, presented the figures.
- What
- Italy’s manufacturing exports grew 53% from 2016 to 2025.
- When
- The growth was measured between 2016 and 2025. De Felice spoke at an event in 2026.
- Where
- The event was part of the Festival dell’Impresa 2026 in Bergamo, Italy.
- Why
- De Felice linked the performance to production quality, innovation and the contribution of small and medium-sized businesses.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Italy’s export propensity was 25.6%.
Italy’s manufacturing exports grew by 53%.
Italy’s export propensity reached 31.6%.
De Felice presented the figures at an event during the Festival dell’Impresa in Bergamo.
- Manufacturing export growth
- 53% from 2016 to 2025
- Export propensity in 2000
- 25.6%
- Export propensity in 2025
- 31.6%
- Innovative industrial businesses
- 69.2% carried out innovation activities in 2022–2024
- Inflation forecast
- 3.3% in 2026 and 2.9% in 2027
What people are saying
Particularly significant is the performance of manufacturing: between 2016 and 2025 exports grew by 53%, more than was recorded in the main European countries.
In a phase marked by geopolitical tensions and rising energy costs, it will be essential to continue investing in technology and skills and to diversify destination markets.