Italy's expected working life falls below EU average

Italy faces a paradox where citizens enjoy high life expectancy but spend significantly less time in the labor market compared to the rest of Europe. According to data from Eurostat and studies by Cna, the expected duration of working life in Italy for 2025 is estimated at 33 years. This is 4.5 years below the European Union average of 37.5 years and ranks as the second lowest in the EU, surpassed only by Romania.

The indicator measures the years a 15-year-old can expect to spend in the workforce, whether employed or unemployed, based on current demographic and participation trends. The low figure is attributed to late entry of young people into the workforce, career discontinuities, and low female participation.

Gender disparities are particularly stark; the expected working life for women in Italy is only 28.4 years, compared to the EU average of 35.4 years. While Italy has seen a slight increase in this metric over the last decade, the gap between Italy and the EU average has actually widened from 4.2 to 4.5 years since 2015.