Italy
Europe
Key facts
- Capital
- Rome
- Population
- 58,915,656
- 2025
- Area
- 302,070 km²
- Official language
- Italian
- Currency
- Euro
- EUR
- GDP per capita
- US$43,309
- 2025
- Dual citizenship
- Allowed
- Italy allows dual citizenship in both directions; Italians who acquire another citizenship keep Italian citizenship unless they renounce it while living abroad.
Italy (Europe) has data on 12/14 Prosperous Intelligence indices. Strongest relative position: Passport Index — #3/198 (96.3/100). Lowest relative position: Tax Freedom Index — #127/145 (49.2/100). The passport ranks #3/198 and reaches 202 destinations without a consular visa in advance. Global Citizenship Score 77.2/100 (#40/199). On the entry side, 92/197 passports can enter Italy without a consular visa in advance. The dataset records 5 active citizenship and residence programmes in Italy.
Scores on 12 indices
- Health & Longevity76.2
- Safety & Stability85.3
- Economy & Income76.4
- Education80.9
- Environment & Clean Water75.0
- Infrastructure95.6
- Digital Connectivity72.1
- Equality60.2
- Learning Quality80.5
- Educational Attainment91.8
- Expected Years of Schooling80.3
- Education Spending68.0
- Basic Access81.2
- Violent Crime99.3
- Stability & Absence of Terrorism69.9
- Law Enforcement & Order68.7
- Road Safety89.8
- Absence of Armed Conflict100.0
- Health Outcomes99.2
- Coverage & Access94.4
- Health Workforce & Facilities51.5
- Spending & Investment49.5
- Financial Protection71.9
- Personal Income Tax14.5
- Capital Gains & Dividends35.0
- System & Incentives57.0
- Net Wealth Tax88.0
- Inheritance & Gift Tax85.8
- Corporate & Social Security43.7
- Rule of Law & Property Rights64.5
- Political Stability69.9
- Institutions & Regulation69.5
- Financial Soundness55.2
- Monetary Stability78.5
- Freedom of Capital Movement100.0
- Education80.9
- Healthcare76.2
- Safety85.3
- Quality of Life77.3
- Cost of living55.5
- Passport96.3
- Passport96.3
- Quality of Life77.3
- Safety85.3
- Healthcare76.2
- Purchasing power & price stability61.2
- Education80.9
- Wealth Protection70.9
- Tax49.2
- Cost of living55.5
- Healthcare76.2
- Safety85.3
- Quality of Life77.3
- Tax49.2
- Wealth Protection70.9
- Affordable Prices45.7
- Price Stability78.5
- Purchasing power56.9
Monthly living costs
- Total incl. rentUS$1,578Rank 8 of 24 countries researched; #1 is the cheapest
- Total excl. rentUS$512Rank 14 of 24 countries researched; #1 is the cheapest
- Housing & utilitiesUS$1,205Rank 8 of 24 countries researched; #1 is the cheapest
- Core food basketUS$107Rank 14 of 24 countries researched; #1 is the cheapest
- A fixed basket of 15 everyday items at online retail prices; not a household’s full food spending.
- Eating outUS$182Rank 20 of 24 countries researched; #1 is the cheapest
- TransportUS$44Rank 9 of 24 countries researched; #1 is the cheapest
- Internet & mobileUS$41Rank 6 of 24 countries researched; #1 is the cheapest
- 2 adults, 2 primary-school children
- Total incl. rentUS$3,228Rank 13 of 24 countries researched; #1 is the cheapest
- Total excl. rentUS$1,114Rank 11 of 24 countries researched; #1 is the cheapest
- Housing & utilitiesUS$2,384Rank 14 of 24 countries researched; #1 is the cheapest
- Core food basketUS$343Rank 14 of 24 countries researched; #1 is the cheapest
- A fixed basket of 15 everyday items at online retail prices; not a household’s full food spending.
- Eating outUS$363Rank 20 of 24 countries researched; #1 is the cheapest
- TransportUS$87Rank 6 of 24 countries researched; #1 is the cheapest
- Internet & mobileUS$51Rank 4 of 24 countries researched; #1 is the cheapest
- International school (reference)US$1,562Rank 12 of 24 countries researched; #1 is the cheapest
- 3 schools, US$1,257–US$1,870 a month; not included in the totals
At a glance
Entering Italy
- Visa-free: 92 passports
- Visa on arrival: 0 passports
- eTA: 0 passports
- e-Visa: 0 passports
- Consular visa required: 105 passports
Regional position and data sources
- First in Europe on 0/12 indices
- Above the regional median on 4/12 indices
- Each index lists its source and data date on the Data sources page
Citizenship and residence programmes in the dataset
- Self-employment visa – Entrepreneur (lavoro autonomo)
- Digital Nomad / Remote Worker Visa
- Investor Visa for Italy (IV4I)
- and 2 more programmes
Frequently asked questions about Italy
What is the capital of Italy?
The capital of Italy is Rome.
What is the population of Italy?
According to the World Bank, Italy had a population of 58,915,656 in 2025.
What is the official language of Italy?
The official language of Italy is Italian.
What currency does Italy use?
Italy uses the Euro (EUR).
Does Italy allow dual citizenship?
Italy allows dual citizenship in both directions; Italians who acquire another citizenship keep Italian citizenship unless they renounce it while living abroad.
How strong is the Italy passport?
The Italy passport ranks #3 of 198 on Prosperous Intelligence’s Passport Index and reaches 202 destinations without applying for a consular visa in advance (visa-free, visa on arrival or eTA).
How many destinations require a visa for Italy passport holders?
Holders of the Italy passport must apply for a consular visa before travelling to 15 destinations and need an e-Visa for 30. Full list: Italy passport page.
How many passports can enter Italy without applying for a visa in advance?
92 of 197 passports can enter Italy without applying for a consular visa in advance: 92 visa-free. 105 must apply for a consular visa.
What citizenship and residency programmes does Italy offer?
The Prosperous Intelligence dataset records 5 active citizenship and residency programmes in Italy: Self-employment visa – Entrepreneur (lavoro autonomo), Digital Nomad / Remote Worker Visa, Investor Visa for Italy (IV4I) and 2 more. Details: Opportunity Map.
What is the minimum investment for residency or citizenship in Italy?
In Italy, Italia Startup Visa (innovative startup, DL 179/2012 art.25) requires a minimum investment of US$54,000, Investor Visa for Italy (IV4I) requires starting from US$270,000 and Self-employment visa – Entrepreneur (lavoro autonomo) requires US$540,000 (reference USD conversion).
How long does an application take in Italy?
In Italy, an application under Self-employment visa – Entrepreneur (lavoro autonomo) takes about 3–6 months, Digital Nomad / Remote Worker Visa about 0–1 months and Investor Visa for Italy (IV4I) about 3–6 months (reference processing time).
How long does it take to become a citizen of Italy through these programmes?
Through Self-employment visa – Entrepreneur (lavoro autonomo), citizenship of Italy is possible after about 10 years, after a period of permanent residence; through Digital Nomad / Remote Worker Visa, citizenship of Italy is possible after about 10 years; through Investor Visa for Italy (IV4I), citizenship of Italy is possible after about 10 years, after a period of permanent residence (reference time).
How many days a year do you need to spend in Italy?
In Italy, Digital Nomad / Remote Worker Visa requires 183 days of physical presence a year and Residenza Elettiva (Elective Residence) 183 days (reference figure).
Can family members join programmes in Italy?
Family members included: Self-employment visa – Entrepreneur (lavoro autonomo): spouse and children under 18; Digital Nomad / Remote Worker Visa: spouse and children under 18; Investor Visa for Italy (IV4I): spouse, children under 18 and parents aged 65+.
Where is Italy strongest and weakest in Prosperous Intelligence’s indices?
Relative to other countries, Italy is strongest on the Passport Index (#3 of 198) and weakest on the Tax Freedom Index (#127 of 145).
How does Italy rank for quality of life?
Italy scores 77.3/100 on Prosperous Intelligence’s Quality of Life Index, ranking #41 of 211.
Is Italy expensive to live in?
Italy scores 55.5/100 on Prosperous Intelligence’s Cost of Living Index, ranking #148 of 200. This is the affordability-of-living-costs score: a higher score means lower prices.
How safe is Italy?
Italy scores 85.3/100 on Prosperous Intelligence’s Global Safety Index, ranking #51 of 203.
How does Italy rank for healthcare?
Italy scores 76.2/100 on Prosperous Intelligence’s Healthcare Index, ranking #28 of 192.
How does Italy rank for education?
Italy scores 80.9/100 on Prosperous Intelligence’s Education Index, ranking #28 of 191.
What the profile contains
- Key facts from government and international sources
- Scores and global ranks on 12 Prosperous Intelligence indices
- Entry rules, passport strength and residency programmes
Why the profile matters
- Compare one country across many criteria on a single page
- Not a substitute for legal, tax or investment advice
Method
- How each index is scored and weighted
- The limits of the data and how to check official sources
