Italy's Cultural and Creative Industries Lag Behind European Peers

In 2022, Italy had 74,505 cultural and creative enterprises (CCIs), ranking fifth in the EU behind Germany, Spain, the Netherlands, and France, which had nearly 138,000. Italy ranked fourth in employment (around 190,000 vs. Germany's 476,000) and value added (just over €8 million vs. Germany's €23 million), according to Eurostat. German firms outperformed Italian ones in employees per enterprise (5.57 vs. 2.54), value added per enterprise (€290,000 vs. €113,000), and value added per employee (€52,000 vs. €47,000). Italy has 13 CCIs per 10,000 inhabitants, again fourth, but with lower competition than Germany. Italian CCIs average 2.5 employees, often freelancers, competing for an average net turnover of €345,000, compared to €487,000 in Germany and €468,000 in Spain. The sector suffers from low public spending on culture and a strong public presence that depresses transaction values. To reverse the trend, Stefano Monti proposes full deductibility of cultural purchases for citizens, higher labor value in public contracts, and stricter contract controls to boost turnover and wages.