This Selected Issues paper investigates the factors behind the deterioration in Italy’s international competitiveness. It concludes that the loss of competitiveness accumulated by Italian firms in recent years is mainly a consequence of weak long-term productivity performance. The paper...

This paper discusses key findings of the Financial System Stability Assessment for Italy. The assessment reveals that Italy’s financial system is sound, and no major vulnerabilities that could cause systemic risks are identified. The deep restructuring of the banking sector in the 1990s has...

In recent years, the IMF has released a growing number of reports and other documents covering economic and financial developments and trends in member countries. Each report, prepared by a staff team after discussions with government officials, is published at the option of the member country

This Report on the Observance of Standards and Codes (ROSC) data module provides an assessment of Italy’s macroeconomic statistics against the Special Data Dissemination Standard (SDDS) complemented by an assessment of data quality based on the IMF’s Data Quality Assessment Framework. The...

The Selected Issues paper provides an estimate of the output gap and potential output for Italy, and examines the sensitivity of the results to assumptions regarding employment and productivity growth. The paper focuses on the labor market more directly by examining the linkages between wage...

This 2004 Article IV Consultation highlights that a cyclical recovery is under way for Italy, with real GDP having risen by 1.2 percent in the first three quarters of 2004 relative to the same period of the previous year, thanks to the favorable external environment and a recovery of investment....

This Selected Issues paper applies a range of methods to assess Italy’s competitiveness gap versus other euro area members. All indicators point to a clear erosion of competitiveness in recent years, with related market share losses. Nonetheless, the estimated competitiveness gap, while...

This 2006 Article IV Consultation highlights that Italy’s economy is enjoying a broad-based, if comparatively modest, cyclical upswing. Output is estimated to have grown by 13⁄4 percent in 2006—the strongest pace since the beginning of the decade. Inflation is close to that of the euro...

This paper examines how international remittances are affected by structural characteristics, macroeconomic conditions, and adverse shocks in both source and recipient economies. We exploit a novel, rich panel data set, covering bilateral remittances from 103 Italian provinces to 107 developing...

This paper reviews capital taxation issues in Italy based on a comprehensive definition encompassing taxes on income, transactions, and ownership. It discusses options to enhance the neutrality of the capital income tax system, followed by a detailed analysis of the property tax, the inheritance...