The European Union is a supranational organization founded in 1957 (under the name European Economic Community) currently comprised of 27 European states, which aims to facilitate economic and political cooperation on the European continent. The current member states of the EU, in alphabetical order, are: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, and Sweden. Additionally, the United Kingdom was a member of the EU from 1973 until 2020, with the country voting to leave the European Union in 2016. There are currently also nine candidate countries (countries in the process of joining the EU): Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, Turkey, Georgia, and Ukraine; as well as a potential candidate, Kosovo. The Founding Six: 1957 The European Economic Community was founded through the 1957 Treaty of Rome by Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands. The six countries were united by the aim of integrating their economies together in such a way which would provide economic prosperity on the European continent and to prevent future conflicts from arising between the countries. This was particularly informed by the French and German politicians, who wished to prevent their countries going to war, as they had done three times over the preceding century (1870-71, 1914-18, and 1939-45). The treaty is considered fundamental to the functioning of the European Union, with the famous statement at its beginning that the countries were seeking to pursue "ever closer union". The First Enlargement: 1973 In 1973, additional countries joined the European Community for the first time. Denmark, Ireland, and the United Kingdom joined the community on the 1st of January 1973, with Ireland and Denmark having held referendums during 1972, with 83 percent voting in favor in Ireland and 63 percent voting in favor in Denmark. Norway had planned to join along with the three other countries, however, their citizens rejected the proposal in a referendum with 54 percent voting against it. The United Kingdom held a referendum in 1975, two years after joining, in which its citizens confirmed the government's decision to join, with 67 percent voting in favor. The UK had been an applicant to join the community since 1963, but had been blocked by French President Charles de Gaulle numerous times, due to his suspicions that the British were too influenced by the United States. The Southern Enlargement: 1981-1986 In 1981 Greece became the first of three southern European countries who had recently transitioned from military dictatorship to democracy to join the European Community. Greek democracy had been restored in 1975, following seven years of rule by a military junta. Portugal and Spain later joined in 1986, as the Carnation Revolution of 1974 had moved Portugal towards free, multi-party elections, while the death of Spain's long-serving dictator General Francisco Franco in 1975 opened up the space for democracy to re-emerge. Some European politicians were hesitant to admit countries with such short histories of democracy and lower living standards than the rest of the bloc, however, there was also a desire to integrate these countries and to prevent a slide back towards authoritarianism. The Third Enlargement: 1995 In 1995, Austria, Finland, and Sweden became the next three countries to join the European Union (the Maastricht Treaty of 1992 had renamed the EEC to the EU). These three countries had a long history of cooperation with EU countries, being closely tied historically and culturally to certain member states (Sweden and Finland to Denmark, and Austria to Germany), as well as having been long-standing members of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA), an organization which facilitates the economic integration of non-EU countries with the EU. Norway had once again planned to join along with these three states, however, its citizens rejected the proposal with 52 percent voting against in a 1994 referendum. The same occurred in Switzerland, whose voters rejected joining the EU by a razor-thin margin, with 50.3 percent voting against. The Eastern Enlargement: 2004-present Since 2004, 13 countries have joined the European Union, almost doubling the size of the bloc. The 2004 enlargement is often referred to as the 'eastern enlargement' as eight post-communist states in central and eastern Europe (Czechia, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia, and Slovenia) joined. Alongside these countries, the Mediterranean island states of Cyprus and Malta also joined the EU in 2004. Later, in 2007 Bulgaria and Romania became the next post-communist countries to join, while Croatia became the second country from the former Yugoslavia (a communis...

This statistic shows the real gross domestic product (GDP) growth rate in Italy from 2020 to 2024, with projections up until 2030. GDP refers to the total market value of all goods and services that are produced within a country per year. It is an important indicator of the economic strength of a country. Real GDP is adjusted for price changes and is therefore regarded as a key indicator for economic growth. In 2024, Italy's real GDP increased by about 0.73 percent compared to the previous year. Italy's national debt Italy’s economy is a developed industrial economy that ranks as one of the largest in the world. A large and efficient economy has helped Italy attain a spot as a member of the G7 and G8, as well as the European Union. After the Second World War, Italy experienced a significant economic boost due to support from the ‘’Free World’’, which is a term used to identify non-communist countries during the Cold War. But several decades of economic growth came to an end after the 2008 recession; from roughly 2007 to 2011, the Italian’s encountered multiple setbacks that shrunk the national economy and dramatically affected the country as a whole. Debt became a major problem and Italy saw annual national debt growth primarily due to the country’s inability to maintain its budget properly as well as an overall decrease in GDP. As a result, investors often questioned the country’s ability to pay off its debts without incurring further debt, particularly due to the country’s large debt-to-GDP ratio, which remains one of the highest in the world.

As of 2024, Ukraine had the highest government debt of any candidate country for membership of the European Union, with its debt being worth approximately 95 percent of its gross domestic product. This debt burden was in line with the average government debt level of European Union countries, which stood at 80 percent in 2023, driven by highly indebted countries such as Greece, Italy, and France. All candidate countries for EU membership apart from Ukraine have relatively low levels of government debt, a positive sign for their chances of joining the EU, as the Copenhagen Criteria require that a country which joins the EU must have a stable market economy which will be able to deal with the impact of joining the union. Government debt levels of around 50 percent are common among developed countries and are not considered to be detrimental to economic progress.

We investigate public attitudes toward the fiscal union: a policy advocated in official European Union documents and designed to address asynchronous economic fluctuations in the eurozone. We employ survey questions and conjoint analyses embedded in population-based panel surveys in Italy, and draw expectations from theories of tax-and-transfer schemes, public insurance, ideology, diffuse support, identity and trust. High-income right-wing individuals with weak European identity and negative assessment of EU membership are more likely to oppose the measure. However, high-income respondents display greater willingness to pay, especially in order to keep the euro, whereas lower-income participants are readier to ditch the currency if the monetary union does not deliver good economic performance. The political feasibility of this policy seems therefore to rest on the willingness to contribute by the core constituency supporting the euro. We also investigate the preferences for the institutional design of the policy.

Italy Trade Balance: EU Countries data was reported at 1,183.000 EUR mn in Sep 2018. This records an increase from the previous number of 745.000 EUR mn for Aug 2018. Italy Trade Balance: EU Countries data is updated monthly, averaging 459.000 EUR mn from Jan 1993 (Median) to Sep 2018, with 309 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 4,091.000 EUR mn in Jul 2008 and a record low of -2,429.000 EUR mn in Dec 2002. Italy Trade Balance: EU Countries data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by National Institute of Statistics. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Italy – Table IT.JA001: Trade Statistics. Croatia joined the European Union last July 1, 2013

With a Gross Domestic Product of over 4.3 trillion Euros, the German economy was by far the largest in Europe in 2024. The similarly sized economies of the United Kingdom and France were the second and third largest economies in Europe during this year, followed by Italy and Spain. The smallest economy in this statistic is that of the small Balkan nation of Montenegro, which had a GDP of 7.4 billion Euros. In this year, the combined GDP of the 27 member states that compose the European Union amounted to approximately 17.95 trillion Euros. The big five Germany’s economy has consistently had the largest economy in Europe since 1980, even before the reunification of West and East Germany. The United Kingdom, by contrast, has had mixed fortunes during the same period and had a smaller economy than Italy in the late 1980s. The UK also suffered more than the other major economies during the recession of the late 2000s, meaning the French economy was the second largest on the continent for some time afterward. The Spanish economy was continually the fifth-largest in Europe in this 38-year period, and from 2004 onwards, has been worth more than one trillion Euros. The smallest GDP, the highest economic growth in Europe Despite having the smallerst GDP of Europe, Montenegro emerged as the fastest growing economy in the continent, achieving an impressive annual growth rate of 4.5 percent, surpassing Turkey's growth rate of 4 percent. Overall,this Balkan nation has shown a remarkable economic recovery since the 2010 financial crisis, with its GDP projected to grow by 28.71 percent between 2024 and 2029. Contributing to this positive trend are successful tourism seasons in recent years, along with increased private consumption and rising imports. Europe's economic stagnation Malta, Albania, Iceland, and Croatia were among the countries reporting some of the highest growth rates this year. However, Europe's overall performance reflected a general slowdown in growth compared to the trend seen in 2021, during the post-pandemic recovery. Estonia experienced the sharpest negative growth in 2023, with its economy shrinking by 2.3% compared to 2022, primarily due to the negative impact of sanctions placed on its large neighbor, Russia. Other nations, including Sweden, Germany, and Finland, also recorded slight negative growth.

In 2023 Germany's contribution to the budget of the European Union was more than 29 billion Euros, the highest of any EU member state. France was the next highest contributor at 26 billion Euros. followed by Italy at 16 billion Euros and Spain at 11.1 billion Euros. The country which contributed the lowest amount was the small island nation of Malta, at 151.9 million Euros. Largest economies in Europe The amount which EU member states contribute to the EU budget is heavily linked to the size of its economy. Germany, for example, has the largest economy in the whole of the EU, with Gross domestic product reaching almost 4.12 trillion Euros in 2023. France and Italy have the second and third largest economies in Europe with GDPs of 2.8 and 2.1 trillion euros respectively.

Euroscepticism, the political position which opposes European integration or proposes leaving the EU, peaked in the early 2010s during the period of the Eurozone crisis. Approval of the EU had been stable at a relatively high level in the 2000s, with around half of respondents having a positive image of the Union, before sharply dropping from 2010 onwards to under a third of respondents. In spite of the spike in negative attitudes towards the EU, the total share of respondents with a negative outlook never exceeded the share of those with a positive one. By 2020, disapproval of the EU was back down to below twenty percent, and has fallen further since. The share of respondents with a positive image of the bloc has risen back to pre-financial crisis levels, signifying a remarkable turnaround in the public image of the EU. Whether this reflects a secular trend, or is the result of the external shocks of Covid-19 and the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which have both forced the member states of the union to cooperate on further integration measures, is yet to be seen. The Eurozone Crisis and the rise of euroscepticism Euroscepticism in the 2010s was driven by a succession of crises in both the economic and political spheres, which were latched onto by populists of both the far-left and far-right. The Eurozone crisis was triggered in 2010 by financial market pressure on the heavily indebted countries on the EU's periphery who were also member of the Euro currency area (Greece, Ireland, Italy, Portugal, and Spain, among others). The economies of these member states had suffered greatly during the global financial crisis and great recession, with the collapse of their housing markets and failure of their banking systems meaning that their governments had to take on increasing debt burdens. As it became clear that their debt levels were unsustainable, the yield on their government debt spiked, meaning that new borrowing became unaffordable. In most cases, the 'Troika' of the EU Commission, ECB, and IMF stepped in to provide bailouts, but with harsh austerity conditions which generated further unemployment and social discontent. The crisis was largely resolved by late 2012, as ECB chief Mario Draghi resolved to do "whatever it takes" to stabilize yields and to save the Euro. Nevertheless, Greece remained in deep trouble until after 2015, with question marks remaining about whether they would leave the Euro. Greece finally exited its Troika bailout program in 2018. Increasing migration flows and populist discontent While the Eurozone crisis was resolved (or at least delayed until a future date) by the middle of the decade, the populist political forces which it had unleashed began to have successes across the continent. The humanitarian crisis trigerred by the fleeing of millions of people from the war in Syria and other conflicts in the Middle East & North Africa towards Europe poured fuel on the fire of populism. Parties who opposed migration took power in Central & Eastern Europe, with Poland's Law and Justice Party and Hungary's Fidesz becoming some of the EU's biggest adversaries over the 2010s. Far-right parties in Western Europe such as the AfD in Germany, National Rally in France, Lega in Italy, PVV in the Netherlands, and Vox in Spain began to have unprecedented electoral success. These parties were buoyed by the Brexit referendum in the UK, where the populist challenger UKIP had forced the ruling Conservative Party to announce a vote on the UK's membership of the EU. With the referendum won by the 'leave' side, populist forces in other countries sought to capitalize on this momentum by entering government and, if not leaving the EU entirely, forcing changes to the way the union is run. While much ink was spilled over the threat this populist challenge posed to the EU, in many cases when populist parties entered government, such as Syriza in Greece and the Five Star Movement in Italy, they softened their tone towards leaving the union and focused rather on domestic politics than EU reform. Covid-19, Russia-Ukraine War, and the decline of euroscepticism? By the end of the decade of the 2010s, the populist and eurosceptic wave which had swept over the continent began to recede. Voters became dissatisfied with the achievements of many populist parties once they had entered office and a series of external shocks would further dampen the hostility towards the EU. The Covid-19 Pandemic struck in early 2020, and while the EU has been criticized for not having a united response to the crisis and being slow to organize the roll-out of vaccination programs, the pandemic focused populist energies towards anti-lockdown and anti-vaccination campaigns which targeted national governments rather than the EU. The pandemic also produced a "rally around the flag" effect, whereby the public approval of establishment forces which were seeking...

Italy Exports: fob: EU data was reported at 21,759.000 EUR mn in Sep 2018. This records an increase from the previous number of 16,397.000 EUR mn for Aug 2018. Italy Exports: fob: EU data is updated monthly, averaging 15,234.000 EUR mn from Jan 1993 (Median) to Sep 2018, with 309 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 23,981.000 EUR mn in Jul 2018 and a record low of 3,657.000 EUR mn in Aug 1993. Italy Exports: fob: EU data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by National Institute of Statistics. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Italy – Table IT.JA004: Exports: By SITC: EU Countries: Nace Rev.2. Croatia joined the European Union last July 1, 2013

Since 1980, Europe's largest economies have consistently been France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the United Kingdom, although the former Soviet Union's economy was the largest in the 1980s, and Russia's economy has been larger than Spain's since 2010. Since Soviet dissolution, Germany has always had the largest economy in Europe, while either France or the UK has had the second largest economy depending on the year. Italy's economy was of a relatively similar size to that of the UK and France until the mid-2000s when it started to diverge, resulting in a difference of approximately 800 billion U.S dollars by 2018. Russia's economy had overtaken both Italy and Spain's in 2012, but has fallen since 2014 due to the drop in international oil prices and the economic sanctions imposed for its annexation of Crimea - economic growth is expected to be comparatively low in Russia in the coming years due to the economic fallout of its invasion of Ukraine in 2022. In 2025, Germany, now the world's third-largest economy, was estimated at over *** trillion U.S. dollars.

Italy Trade Balance: EU Countries: sa data was reported at 1,134.000 EUR mn in Aug 2018. This records an increase from the previous number of 884.000 EUR mn for Jul 2018. Italy Trade Balance: EU Countries: sa data is updated monthly, averaging 578.500 EUR mn from Jan 1993 (Median) to Aug 2018, with 308 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 1,761.000 EUR mn in Dec 2014 and a record low of -1,845.000 EUR mn in Jun 2010. Italy Trade Balance: EU Countries: sa data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by National Institute of Statistics. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Italy – Table IT.JA001: Trade Statistics. Croatia joined the European Union last July 1, 2013

This is a brief article of my views of Italy and it's current economic outlook in the short run. I look at this from the perspective of starting a new business in the country and its viability.

The statistic shows the growth of the real gross domestic product (GDP) in the European Union and the Euro area from 2020 to 2024, with projections up until 2030. GDP refers to the total market value of all goods and services that are produced within a country per year. It is an important indicator of the economic strength of a country. Real GDP is adjusted for price changes and is therefore regarded as a key indicator for economic growth. In 2024, the GDP in the European Union increased by about 1.12 percent compared to the previous year. Growth trends in the EU compared to the euro area The euro area, which is also called the eurozone, is an economic and monetary union (EMU) which includes 19 of the 27 European Union member states which have formally adopted the euro. Those countries include Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Spain. Member states which have not yet adopted the euro include Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia, Denmark, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Sweden and the United Kingdom. Additionally, there is the so-called Schengen Area, which is composed of EU and non-EU states, and has been established mainly to facilitate travelling in Europe. While some countries, such as Kosovo and Montenegro have adopted the euro unilaterally, they are not formally part of the eurozone. Others have established a monetary agreement with the EU to use the euro, such as Andorra, Monaco, San Marino and the Vatican, but they do not form part of the official euro area. As can be seen in the chart, annual GDP growth slumped in 2012 and 2013, presumably as a result of the global financial crisis, in both the EU and the euro area. In 2013, growth began increasing ever so slightly and in 2014 the EU regained a bit of stability. However, overall recovery in the EU has been relatively moderate and gradual; growth throughout the EU has been slightly better than in the euro area and is projected to remain slightly better for the foreseeable future. Relatively new member states such as Romania and Czechia, which have not yet adopted the euro, reported the highest annual growth rates in the EU in 2015, and generally, new member states show slightly better growth rates. Also, unemployment has been slightly higher in the euro area compared to the EU for the last ten years (267906). The unemployment rate also remains relatively high for both the EU and the euro area. As for public spending as a share of GDP, these figures are slightly higher in the euro area than in the EU as a whole. The member states with the highest national debt include the United Kingdom, Italy, France and Germany - some of the oldest members of the euro area. The national debt of the euro area is slightly higher than the national debt of the EU as a whole, underlining the economic situation of both areas.

Judgement on current situation in life and political and economic development of the country in times of economic and social upheaval.

Topics: 1. Common part of the survey for all participating countries: most important problems of the country; intent to emigrate and country of choice; desired occupation for one´s own child; judgement on the work of the president of the country; fears and desires for the future; assessment of current standard of living and comparison with the situation five years ago and expected future development; judgement on the situation of the country in comparison over time; preference for freedom or social security; attitude to admission of undemocratic parties; attitude to freedom of the press; perceived discrimination against women; attitude to division of labor in raising children; judgement on conduct of parliamentary representatives and attitude to democracy in the country (scale); feeling of political effectiveness; internal or external control; achievement orientation; attitude to the national economy; demand for increased environmental protection; desire for foreign support for one´s country; the government as guarantor of equal opportunities and social security; welfare state; necessity of the willingness to compromise in politics; interest in politics at municipal level; diminishing interest in political events; self-assessment as patriot; attitude to securing of peace through military strength; readiness for national defense; necessity of participation of one´s country in world politics; claims to territory in neighboring countries; attitude to restriction on immigration; attitude to use of military for restoration of world order.

Religion and morals: importance of prayer and significance of God in one´s own life; doubt in the existence of God; attitude to prohibition of books critical of society and to sex magazines and films; attitude to freedom of speech even for fascists; assessment of the general trustworthiness of people; AIDS as punishment by God; representation of traditional values in the area of family and marriage; attitude to abortion; clear concepts of Good and Evil; perceived intensification of class differences; assessment of personal things in common with uneducated and persons of another race or ethnic affiliation; satisfaction with one´s own financial situation.

Demography: party membership; union membership; residential status; city size; religiousness.

1. Additional questions in this survey: attitude to advertising (scale); acceptance of advertising in selected media; desired establishing of prices through demand, production costs or government determination; judgement on economic consequences of European unification for one´s country; expected influence of European integration on the development of agriculture, industry and tourism; attitude to admission of Eastern European countries into the EC; preferred applicant countries; Eastern European country the closest to one´s own; attitude to the European domestic market; dominant member country in the European Community; attitude to export of weapons into third world countries.

Italy Exports: fob: EU Countries: sa data was reported at 21,977.000 EUR mn in Sep 2018. This records a decrease from the previous number of 22,290.000 EUR mn for Aug 2018. Italy Exports: fob: EU Countries: sa data is updated monthly, averaging 15,200.000 EUR mn from Jan 1993 (Median) to Sep 2018, with 309 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 22,478.000 EUR mn in Jun 2018 and a record low of 6,512.000 EUR mn in Jan 1993. Italy Exports: fob: EU Countries: sa data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by National Institute of Statistics. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Italy – Table IT.JA001: Trade Statistics. Croatia joined the European Union last July 1, 2013

Italy Exports: fob: Non EU Countries: sa data was reported at 17,473.000 EUR mn in Oct 2018. This records an increase from the previous number of 16,586.000 EUR mn for Sep 2018. Italy Exports: fob: Non EU Countries: sa data is updated monthly, averaging 9,869.500 EUR mn from Jan 1993 (Median) to Oct 2018, with 310 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 17,866.000 EUR mn in Jun 2018 and a record low of 3,891.000 EUR mn in Aug 1993. Italy Exports: fob: Non EU Countries: sa data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by National Institute of Statistics. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Italy – Table IT.JA001: Trade Statistics. Croatia joined the European Union last July 1, 2013

Italy Trade Balance: Non EU Countries data was reported at 3,045.000 EUR mn in Oct 2018. This records an increase from the previous number of 91.000 EUR mn for Sep 2018. Italy Trade Balance: Non EU Countries data is updated monthly, averaging 534.000 EUR mn from Jan 1993 (Median) to Oct 2018, with 310 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 6,161.000 EUR mn in Dec 2017 and a record low of -5,506.000 EUR mn in Jan 2011. Italy Trade Balance: Non EU Countries data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by National Institute of Statistics. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Italy – Table IT.JA001: Trade Statistics. Croatia joined the European Union last July 1, 2013

The city of Paris in France had an estimated gross domestic product of 757.6 billion Euros in 2021, the most of any European city. Paris was followed by the spanish capital, Madrid, which had a GDP of 237.5 billion Euros, and the Irish capital, Dublin at 230 billion Euros. Milan, in the prosperous north of Italy, had a GDP of 228.4 billion Euros, 65 billion euros larger than the Italian capital Rome, and was the largest non-capital city in terms of GDP in Europe. The engine of Europe Among European countries, Germany had by far the largest economy, with a gross domestic product of over 4.18 trillion Euros. The United Kingdom or France have been Europe's second largest economy since the 1980s, depending on the year, with forecasts suggesting France will overtake the UK going into the 2020s. Germany however, has been the biggest European economy for some time, with five cities (Munich, Berlin, Hamburg, Stuttgart and Frankfurt) among the 15 largest European cities by GDP. Europe's largest cities In 2023, Moscow was the largest european city, with a population of nearly 12.7 million. Paris was the largest city in western Europe, with a population of over 11 million, while London was Europe's third-largest city at 9.6 million inhabitants.

Italy Imports: cif: EU Countries: sa data was reported at 20,541.000 EUR mn in Sep 2018. This records a decrease from the previous number of 21,273.000 EUR mn for Aug 2018. Italy Imports: cif: EU Countries: sa data is updated monthly, averaging 15,182.000 EUR mn from Jan 1993 (Median) to Sep 2018, with 309 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 21,328.000 EUR mn in Dec 2017 and a record low of 5,387.000 EUR mn in Jan 1993. Italy Imports: cif: EU Countries: sa data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by National Institute of Statistics. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Italy – Table IT.JA001: Trade Statistics. Croatia joined the European Union last July 1, 2013

Italy Imports: cif: Non EU Countries: sa data was reported at 15,453.000 EUR mn in Oct 2018. This records a decrease from the previous number of 15,472.000 EUR mn for Sep 2018. Italy Imports: cif: Non EU Countries: sa data is updated monthly, averaging 10,271.000 EUR mn from Jan 1993 (Median) to Oct 2018, with 310 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 16,241.000 EUR mn in Apr 2011 and a record low of 3,560.000 EUR mn in Jun 1993. Italy Imports: cif: Non EU Countries: sa data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by National Institute of Statistics. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Italy – Table IT.JA001: Trade Statistics. Croatia joined the European Union last July 1, 2013