Italy: Car purchase cost climbs to 11 months of wages, 59% of shoppers postpone buying

The 2026 edition of the mobility survey conducted by Bain & Company together with the automotive association Aniasa shows that the automobile remains Italy’s main transport mode (76% of respondents use a car daily). However, the cost of a new vehicle has surged: on average 11 monthly salaries are now needed to afford a car, up from five in 2000, with average prices rising 52% since 2013 while household income grew only 29%.

Because of the price gap, 59% of Italians have either postponed or abandoned the purchase of a new car, and 10% have decided not to buy at all. The leading reasons are income‑growth uncertainty (36%) and waiting for better market conditions such as lower prices or more favourable financing (25%). Respondents say public incentives (30%), list‑price discounts (26%) and more flexible financing (12%) would help restore affordability.

The survey also highlights a shift toward pay‑per‑use mobility. Italo Folonari, president of Aniasa, noted that rental fleets now exceed 1.5 million vehicles in Italy and that “more users are choosing a mobility formula based on pay‑per‑use rather than ownership.” He warned that frequent regulatory changes are hampering rental operators and called for greater stability and a long‑term vision for the sector.