Italian artisan enterprises face significant decline

An analysis by CNA based on ISTAT data reveals a significant decline in Italy’s artisan enterprises. National data shows that the number of artisan businesses registered with INPS fell from 1,731,573 in 2015 to 1,297,710 by 2025, representing a 25.1% decrease.

While artisan businesses account for 21.5% of all active enterprises in Italy, the impact varies by region. Reggio Emilia ranks fifth nationally and first in the Emilia-Romagna region, with artisan businesses making up 30.7% of its total. Other high-incidence provinces include Nuoro (31.7%), Cuneo (31.5%), Fermo (31.3%), and Asti (31.1%). Conversely, major metropolitan areas like Naples, Rome, and Milan show much lower concentrations.

Experts warn that this decline serves as an alarm for the national economy. Key challenges facing the sector include rising costs, difficulty accessing credit, tax pressure, and a critical lack of generational turnover. The shortage of young, qualified workers threatens the survival of many healthy businesses and the preservation of specialized manual and intellectual skills that form the backbone of local production networks.