Italy
Europe · Southern Europe
Unmatched food and history; slower economy and heavy bureaucracy, but daily life is hard to beat.
Digital Nomad
Ideal destination
Expat
Ideal destination
At a Glance
📈Italy's Human Development Index
0.906
Very High human development#29 of 191 countries worldwide, #20 of 44 in Europe.
Higher than 85% of countries with data. UNDP Human Development Report.
UNDP builds the index from three dimensions: a long and healthy life, being knowledgeable, and a decent standard of living. They are measured by life expectancy at birth, mean and expected years of schooling, and gross national income per capita.
Closest indicators in this dataset
World Bank, own vintages. UNDP’s own component values are not carried here, so these are related measures rather than the index inputs.
Nearest countries by HDI
Full HDI ranking, all 191 countries →Italy
Italy is a country that needs little introduction but never disappoints, a place where extraordinary art and architecture in Florence, Rome, and Venice coexist with a way of daily life centred on good food, coffee, and the pleasure of slowing down. Every region has its own dialect, cuisine, and character, from the Alps in the north to the sun-bleached baroque towns of Sicily. Those who can surrender to Italian time, rather than fighting it, will find it one of the most satisfying places on earth.
- Oldest average population in Europe, ahead of Greece and Spain.
- More UNESCO World Heritage Sites than any other country.
- GDP per capita has barely grown in 25 years — a structural stagnation, not a crisis.
Quick Facts
Capital
Rome
Language
Italian
Currency
€ EUR
Area
295,720 km²
Nomad Hub
Fixed Broadband
114Mbps
Mobile
93Mbps
Digital Nomad Visa
Min. Income
$2,300/mo
Duration
12 months
Renewable
Yes
Application Fee
Varies
GDP / Capita
$43K
PPP / Capita
$63K
Inflation
1.5%
Unemployment
6.4%
Innovation (GII)
44.9
GNI / Capita
$42K
Tax Revenue
25.6%
FDI Inflows
0.0%
Education Spend
4.1%
Cost of Living
61.4
Price Level Index
19th pct
20-Year Trend + IMF Forecast
Income & inflation over time
HDI since 1990
0.780 → 0.906 (+0.126)Year by year →UNDP Human Development Report, 2023-24 edition. 33 annual values, none interpolated; hover any point for its year.
Twenty years here
Year by year →The world report →World Bank observations, first to last available year per indicator (roughly 2005–2024; each series has its own window).
Thinking about Italy for real?
The matcher weighs your budget, timeline and dealbreakers against the same data on this page, then answers with the places that actually fit.
Find your match →Neighbouring Countries
Italy head-to-head
💬Quick answers
What is Italy's Human Development Index?
Italy's Human Development Index is 0.906 (UNDP Human Development Report), ranked #29 of 191 countries.
Is Italy safe?
Italy scores 1.71 on the Global Peace Index (lower is more peaceful), ranked #35 of 160 countries by the Institute for Economics & Peace. That measures national-level peace, not street crime; both are covered below.
How expensive is Italy?
Numbeo's cost-of-living index puts Italy at 61.4 (New York = 100); that is #119 cheapest of 143 countries with data.
What is life expectancy in Italy?
Life expectancy at birth in Italy is 84.0 yrs (World Bank), ranked #8 of 195 countries.
What is the quality of life in Italy?
Numbeo's quality-of-life index scores Italy at 152.9, ranked #39 of 87 countries with data. It composites purchasing power, safety, healthcare, cost of living, commute and pollution from resident surveys, so it reflects what residents report rather than what an economy produces.