Italy confronts youth exodus and decades‑long wage decline

A round‑table hosted by Rotary in Ferrara highlighted that around 700,000 young Italians are leaving the country in search of higher wages abroad. Participants such as Gian Luigi Zaina of Confindustria and manager Adriano Maestri emphasized that stagnant salaries and inflation are driving the outflow, while Michele Benvenuti, director of the Bank of Italy in Venice, warned that Italy cannot look only to the US or China for development models.

Data cited by analysts show that gross wages in Italy have fallen an average of 6 % since 1990, marking the steepest decline in 35 years, whereas other major industrial economies have seen salary growth of 15‑30 %. The slowdown is linked to fragmented production, weak investment in technology, and a growing low‑skill service sector. Experts such as Maurizio Gardini called for a new social pact and a stronger industrial policy to boost productivity, innovation and retain talent.

The discussions point to a need for coordinated European policies that focus on renewable energy, skilled immigration and balanced economic growth, rather than solely defence spending.