ECONOMY ITALY 2022
Focus 26
HIGHLY DEVELOPED ITALIAN MARKET ECONOMY
taly’s economic freedom score is 65.4, making its economy the 57th freest in the 2022 Index. Italy is ranked 33rd among 45 countries in the Europe region, and its overall score is below the regional average but above the world average, by the 2022 index of economic freedom. The Italian economy slowed from 2017 through to 2019, contracted in 2020, and resumed growth in 2021.
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A five-year trend of overall improvement of economic freedom has continued. Led by notable jumps in scores
ITALY IS THE WORLD'S SIXTH-LARGEST MANUFACTURING COUNTRY
The country is also well known for its influential and innovative business/ economic sector, industrious and competitive agricultural sector and manufacturers of creatively designed, highquality products
for rule of law (property rights, judicial effectiveness, and government integrity), Italy has posted an overall 2.9-point gain in economic freedom since 2017 and has climbed into the top half of the Moderately Free category. Monetary freedom, trade freedom and investment freedom are strong, but the economy remains heavily burdened by government spending. As of December 1, 2021, 133,931 deaths have been attributed to the pan-
