Country profile
Italy
General information
Flagge von Italien / Flag of Italy
Photo: Bundesregierung
Italy (the Italian Republic) was a founding member of the European Economic Community (EEC) in 1957. Its population of 60 million live on a landmass of 301,277 square kilometres. Italian territory encircles the Republic of San Marino and the Vatican City.
The capital city is Rome.
The official language is Italian. In the north of the country there are four linguistic minorities: German and Ladin are spoken in South Tyrol, French in the Aosta Valley and Slovenian in Friuli.
Economic data
Gross domestic product (GDP) per capita, based on purchasing power parity (PPP): USD 35,781
Real change in GDP between 2010 and 2015: -3.6 %
Gross national debt as percentage of GDP: 133 %
Percentage of women (aged 15-64) in gainful employment: 46.8 %
Youth unemployment rate (15-24 year-olds): 42.1 %
The national currency is the euro (EUR).
Additional information
Country information from the Federal Foreign Office
Website of the Italian government