Foreign-owned businesses in Italy have expanded rapidly over the past decade and a half, reshaping the country’s economic landscape and challenging long-standing assumptions about immigration and entrepreneurship. According to the latest Immigration and Entrepreneurship Report 2025, companies led by non-Italian citizens increased by nearly 50% between 2011 and 2024, rising from about 454,000 to more than 666,000 active businesses.
This growth stands out even more when compared with trends among native-owned firms. During the same period, Italian-led businesses declined by roughly 7.9%, highlighting a structural shift in the composition of the national economy. As of 2024, foreign-run enterprises account for about 11.3% of all independent businesses in Italy, up from 7.4% in 2011.
