Italy, a nation steeped in history and culture, spans approximately 300,000 square kilometers and is home to around 60 million people. Celebrated for its artistic heritage and culinary traditions, Rome, its capital, stands as a global center of culture, politics, and economy. Italy’s diverse landscapes, from the Alpine north to the Mediterranean south, contribute to its unique appeal.
The CIA World Factbook highlights Italy’s significant role within the European Union and Eurozone, noting its diversified economy, particularly in manufacturing and tourism.
But what do international rankings and indices have to say about Italy in terms of its economic performance, sustainability, country brand strength, soft power, and reputation?
Overview of Italy’s Performance & Potential
The following table offers a snapshot of Italy’s overall performance across various international rankings. For a deeper analysis, our custom reports provide tailored insights for specific contexts, such as cities, regions, or countries.
| Ranking | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand Finance Global Soft Power Index | 11 | 19 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 9 |
| Anholt Nation Brand Index | 6 | 4 | 4 | 5 | – | – |
| INSEAD Global Talent Competitiveness Index | 36 | 35 | 33 | 32 | – | – |
| Bloom Consulting CountryRanking Trade | 17 | – | – | 14 | – | 12 |
| Bloom Consulting Country Ranking Tourism | 7 | – | – | 2 | – | 1 |
| IMD World Competitiveness Ranking | – | 41 | 41 | 41 | 42 | – |
| Numbeo Cost of Living Index | 28 | 26 | 32 | 35 | 32 | 31 |
| Numbeo Quality of Life Index | – | 36 | 36 | 37 | 40 | 40 |
| Internations Expat Insider Country Report | – | 58 | 44 | 47 | 47 | – |
| U.S. News Best Countries | 17 | 16 | 14 | 15 | 15 | – |
| The World Happiness Report | 30 | 28 | 31 | 33 | 41 | – |
| Global Peace Index | 31 | 32 | 32 | 34 | 33 | – |
| EIU Democracy Index | 29 | 31 | 34 | 34 | – | – |
| Corruption Perceptions Index | 52 | 42 | 41 | 42 | – | – |
| CAF World Giving Index | – | 111 | 109 | 87 | 101 | – |
| Global Terrorism Index | 59 | – | 50 | – | 58 | – |
| Good Country Index | 15 | 19 | 24 | 24 | 30 | – |
| Sustainable Development Report | 30 | 26 | 25 | 24 | 23 | – |
| Environmental Performance Index | 20 | – | 23 | – | 29 | – |
Soft Power and Brand Strength
Italy leverages its rich cultural heritage, artistic legacy, and renowned culinary traditions as key components of its soft power. In the Brand Finance Global Soft Power Index 2025, Italy maintains its strong position at 9th out of 193 countries, indicating a consistent and powerful global influence.
In the Anholt Nation Brand Index 2023, Italy holds the 5th position out of 60, a slight decrease from its previous ranking of 4th, suggesting a consistently strong, though slightly adjusted, global brand perception.
Furthermore, the U.S. News Best Countries 2024 places Italy at 15th out of 89, highlighting its exceptional strengths. The nation demonstrates world-leading performance in Cultural Influence (1st), and near-unrivaled positions in Heritage and Adventure, both ranking 2nd. However, Italy could improve its ‘Open for business’ ranking (44th).
Appeal to Investors and Business
Italy’s strategic location in the Mediterranean, combined with its strong manufacturing base and tourism sector, creates a significant draw for investors. In the Bloom Consulting 2024–2025 Country Brand Ranking Trade Edition, Italy is ranked 12th out of 206, an improvement from its previous ranking of 14th, indicating a strengthening of its trade appeal.
Italy’s competitive business environment is reflected in its 42nd place ranking out of 67 countries in the IMD 2024 World Competitiveness Ranking. While Italy’s competitive stance is moderate, it shows a slight decrease from its previous 41st position. The country performs relatively better in infrastructure (30th) and business efficiency (37th), but demonstrates areas for improvement in economic performance (44th) and government efficiency (57th).
Appeal to Talent
According to the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2024, Italy features three institutions among the world’s top 200: the University of Bologna, ranked 155th; Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa, ranked 168th; and Sapienza University of Rome, ranked 181st.
Italy’s commitment to talent development is reflected in its 32nd place ranking out of 134 countries in the INSEAD Global Talent Competitiveness Index 2023. This indicates a relatively stable, though still moderate, capacity for attracting and retaining talent.
Italy ranks 47th out of 53 countries in the Internations Expat Insider 2024 list, indicating a need for improvement in its appeal to international residents. Numbeo’s Quality of Life Index ranks Italy 40th out of 88, reflecting a moderate standard of living. Cost of Living Index places Italy at 31st out of 139, suggesting a relatively manageable cost of living compared to other nations.
Appeal to Visitors
Italy’s rich cultural heritage, historical landmarks, and world-renowned culinary scene consistently draw a significant number of tourists each year. In the Bloom Consulting 2024–2025 Country Brand Ranking Tourism Edition, Italy ranks 1st out of 203, maintaining its position as a premier global tourist destination.
“Good Country” and Sustainability
Italy’s “good country” credentials present a mixed picture. Its ranking of 30th out of 174 on the Good Country Index, a decline from its previous 24th position, suggests areas for potential improvement. Similarly, The World Happiness Report 2024 ranks Italy 41st out of 143, a decrease from its previous 33rd position.
Italy demonstrates lower strength in philanthropic engagement, with the CAF World Giving Index 2023 placing it at 101st out of 142, a significant decline from its prior 87th position.
The nation ranks 33rd out of 163 in the Global Peace Index 2024. Its Global Terrorism Index 2024 ranking of 58th out of 89 indicates a moderate level of terrorism impacts, showing a small increase from its previous position of 50th.
In governance, Italy’s democratic stability is reflected by its 34th place ranking out of 167 in the 2023 Economist Intelligence Unit Democracy Index, maintaining its previous position. The 2023 Corruption Perceptions Index by Transparency International places Italy at 42nd out of 180.
On sustainability measures, Italy ranks 23rd out of 167 in the 2024 Sustainable Development Report. It ranks 29th out of 180 in the Environmental Performance Index, showing a decline from its previous 23rd position.
This graph illustrates how Italy performs across rankings that are most relevant regarding “good country” performance and sustainability leadership – two factors that are especially important for building and maintaining soft power and country reputation.
Our Key Takeaways
Italy’s global profile showcases a nation with exceptionally strong brand strength and tourism appeal, yet faces challenges in happiness, competitiveness, and philanthropic engagement. Despite its powerful global presence, the country’s lower rankings in competitiveness and philanthropic giving indicate areas for potential improvement.
- Strengths: Strong brand strength, top tourism appeal, robust trade performance.
- Weaknesses: Lower happiness ranking, declining competitiveness, weak philanthropic engagement.
- Opportunities: Improving competitiveness, enhancing happiness, increasing philanthropic contributions.
- Threats: Potential negative impact of global economic pressures, slight increases in perceived corruption, environmental performance decline.
Last updated in March 2025. Explore more country profiles here.
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Disclaimer:The information in this article is intended to provide a general overview of Italy’s economic and cultural landscape and facilitate comparison over time. While we strive for accuracy and completeness, the data is provided “as is” without warranty of any kind. Please verify any information before relying on it for decision-making purposes.
