Einar H. Dyvik
Research expert covering Nordics and global data for society, economy, and politics
Earnings and wages in Italy - statistics & facts
Italy is among the countries with the lowest wages in Europe. Although salaries have grown steadily since the 2000s, they have not kept pace with inflation, leading to an erosion of purchasing power. Furthermore, there are substantial differences in salaries across the country, due to regional and gender-based disparities. More specifically, salaries in the northern and central regions are significantly higher compared to those in the south. In Lombardy, the annual gross salary is higher than in Basilicata by around 6,400 euros. Reviewing wages across Italian regions reveals that those in the south rank quite low compared to other European countries. Factors like high unemployment rates and lower living costs in some southern regions might explain such different figures. These disparities illustrate a much more complex picture of the country. In fact, there is a large economic gap between the northern and southern regions, which has complex historical roots.
Another factor revealing the poor inclusion of women in the Italian job market is the unemployment rate. Although this indicator has progressively reduced in recent years, the female unemployment rate in Italy remains higher than the male one. A closer look at regional data reveals another concerning trend. All Italian regions record higher unemployment rates for women, with the gap particularly marked in southern regions. In fact, the south registered a difference of about three percentage points between genders in terms of unemployment, while the region with the largest gap was Basilicata, with a gap of over four percentage points in 2024. By contrast, in the north, male unemployment rate was 1.5 percentage points lower than the female one.
In times of economic difficulties and rising living costs, better monetary compensation constitutes the main driver for job changes. Other relevant reasons were growth and career opportunities, as well as hybrid working conditions.
Gender gap and unemployment rate
The pay gap is one of the major indicators to determine the level of gender inequality of a given society. While it has recently decreased, the gender pay gap in Italy remains a persistent issue. On average men earn seven percent more per year than women. Insurance, business consulting, and communication were the industries that registered the largest level of wage disparity between men and women.Another factor revealing the poor inclusion of women in the Italian job market is the unemployment rate. Although this indicator has progressively reduced in recent years, the female unemployment rate in Italy remains higher than the male one. A closer look at regional data reveals another concerning trend. All Italian regions record higher unemployment rates for women, with the gap particularly marked in southern regions. In fact, the south registered a difference of about three percentage points between genders in terms of unemployment, while the region with the largest gap was Basilicata, with a gap of over four percentage points in 2024. By contrast, in the north, male unemployment rate was 1.5 percentage points lower than the female one.
Salary satisfaction
According to a recent report published in 2025, employee opinions on earnings reflect relatively low satisfaction overall. The highest reported level of gratification was only 5.2 out of ten, which represents employees' views on their firm's salary competitiveness against similar companies. When asked about reasons for changing jobs, three quarters of employees indicated that a higher salary would encourage them to change.In times of economic difficulties and rising living costs, better monetary compensation constitutes the main driver for job changes. Other relevant reasons were growth and career opportunities, as well as hybrid working conditions.
