United Nations report ranks Italy last in European social inclusion

The United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA) has released the World Social Report 2026, introducing the Socially Inclusive Transformation (SIT) index. This new metric evaluates how effectively economic, digital, and energy transformations translate into social inclusion.

In a ranking of 28 high-income European countries, Malta ranked first with 159.77 points, followed by Ireland and Denmark. Italy ranked last among these nations with 133.19 points, placing behind Croatia, Bulgaria, and Russia.

The report highlights a disconnect between economic transformation and social inclusion. While major powers such as the United States and China rank highly in economic, digital, and energy transformations, they do not appear in the top five for social inclusion, a category led by Belgium, Finland, Iceland, the Netherlands, and Sweden. The UN emphasizes that innovation and growth do not automatically ensure benefits reach all citizens, noting that public policy is the decisive factor in preventing people from being left behind.