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  11. The Sustainable Development Goals

The Sustainable Development Goals

The 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that make up the 2030 Agenda address various areas of social, economic, and environmental development, which must be considered in an integrated manner. The Goals — broken down into more specific sub-objectives, for a total of 169 targets to be achieved by 2030 — include essential components such as references to people’s well-being, the fair distribution of development benefits, the fight against poverty and climate change, environmental degradation, and inequality.

To establish a shared statistical framework for monitoring and evaluating progress towards 2030 Agenda Goals, the Inter-Agency and Expert Group on SDG Indicators (UN-IAEG-SDGs) was established. In March 2016, UN-IAEG-SDGs proposed an initial list of indicators, which has subsequently been expanded and revised in later editions.

Istat disseminates 321 statistical measures (301 of which are unique, meaning that each is associated with only one Goal) for  148 UN IAEG-SDG indicators.

The main evidence regarding the current dissemination is presented below, for each Goal.

  • In 2024, absolute poverty in Italy affected approximately 5.7 million individuals (9.8% of total residents). The incidence remained stable across almost all of the national territory, except in theIslands, where a significant increase was recorded (+1.5 percentage points compared to 2023).
  • In 2025, the share of the population at risk of poverty or social exclusion fell to 22.6%. The decrease was linked to employment growth, which reduced low work intensity by 1 percentage point, from 9.2% in 2024 to 8.2% in 2025.
  • However, large territorial gaps in the risk of poverty or social exclusion persisted: in the South, the incidence (38.4%) was almost triple compared to the North (13.1%), despite the improvements observed in Molise and Calabria and the worsening conditions affecting Piemonte and Liguria.
  • In 2025, the housing cost overburden rate stood at 5.0%, affecting approximately 3 million residents, a figure substantially stable compared to the previous year and below the EU average (7.7%).
  • Goal 1 – No Poverty (.pdf, in Italian)

 

  • Food insecurity has risen to 2.2% in 2025, reaching 4.9% among foreign nationals and 3.9% among households with members with disabilities.
  • In 2025, 31.1% of children aged 3 to 5 were overweight. This figure has improved slightly for the second consecutive year.
  • In agriculture, organic farming continued to gain ground (accounting for over 20% of the utilised agricultural area in 2024) and ammonia emissions decreased.
  • The share of non-regular workers in agriculture increased again in 2023 (to 20.8%), reaching 27.9% in the South and Islands.
  • Goal 2 – Zero Hunger (.pdf, in Italian)

  • In 2025, the greater vulnerability of male children under 5 years of age compared with female children was confirmed, with a mortality rate of 3.4 per 1,000 live births versus 2.8.
  • Healthy life expectancy at birth in 2025 was estimated at 59.1 years (60.2 years for men and 58.0 for women), with an average increase compared with 2024 of nearly 1 year of healthy life (0.4 years for men and 1.4 years for women).
  • The probability of dying between the ages of 30 and 69 from cancer, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases further decreased in 2023 to 8.0%, although significant gender and territorial disparities persisted.
  • In 2025, more than half of the population aged 65 and over was vaccinated against influenza; however, high territorial disparities remained.
  • Goal 3 – Good Health and Well-Being   (.pdf, in Italian)

  • In 2023/2024, the number of places in socio-educational services for early childhood accounted for 31.6% of the number of children aged 0-2 years. Availability remains limited, with wide regional disparities.
  • In the 2024/2025 school year, the share of students who did not achieve the basic competence level in Italian and mathematics deteriorated, widening the gap from prepandemic levels. Conversely, performance in English continued to improve steadily.
  • In 2025, 54.3% of people aged 16-74 had at least basic digital skills, below the EU27 average (60.4%) but growing compared to 2023.
  • In 2025, the share of early leavers from education and training among 18-24-year-olds fell to 8.2%, surpassing the European target set for 2030 (9.0%).
  • Goal 4 – Quality Education  (.pdf, in Italian)

  • The number of Italian women victims of physical or sexual violence in the five years before the interview remained substantially stable compared with 2014.
  • The availability of specialised services for women victims of violence continued to grow in 2024, particularly the number of shelters.
  • In 2025, the ratio of the employment rate of women aged 25-49 with at least one preschool-aged child to that of childless women aged 25-49 held steady at 75,1%, confirming that the former remains at a disadvantage compared with the latter, with employment rates of 58,1% and 77,4%, respectively. Over the long term, the ratio improved only in southern Italy, while worsening in the other geographical areas.
  • Goal 5 – Gender Equality  (.pdf, in Italian)

 

 

  • In 2024, freshwater withdrawal for public water supply was at its lowest, but Italy – with 8.86 billion cubic metres – remained first in the EU27 by volume and second in per capita terms.
  • In 2024, in provincial and metropolitan capitals, public water supply networks recorded a decline in the volume supplied (233 litres per inhabitant per day, -30 litres compared with 2012) and a stable level of efficiency (64.8%).
  • The number of provincial and metropolitan capitals affected by water rationing measures rose from 14 out of 109 in 2023 to 17 in 2024.
  • In 2025, almost one out of three households did not trust drinking tap water and one out of ten experienced irregularities in water supply, confirming a stable situation.
  • Goal 6 – Clean Water and Sanitation  (.pdf, in Italian)

  • In 2024, energy intensity in Italy continued to improve, reaching one of the lowest levels in the EU27 (73.3 Toe/M€). Final energy consumption in households per capita remained stable compared with 2023, but it was below the EU27 average.
  • The growth of renewable energy sources (RES) has proceeded at a pace insufficient to meet the trajectories set out in the Integrated National Energy and Climate Plan. In 2024, the overall share of RES in gross final energy consumption reached 19.4%, remaining broadly stable compared with 2023.
  • The share of gross inland electricity consumption covered by renewables continued to increase in 2024 (41.7%), confirming electricity as the leading sector for RES. By contrast, the heating and cooling, and transport sectors recorded a slight decline.
  • In 2025, registrations of electric and hybrid vehicles (12.7% of total new vehicle registrations) increased significantly. Despite this growth, electric mobility remained insufficient to meet the regulatory targets set for 2030.
  • Goal 7 – Affordable and Clean Energy (.pdf, in Italian)

  • Italian GDP per capita increased by 0.6% in 2025, below the EU27 average but above that of France and Germany.
  • In 2025, the Italian labour market continued to expand, albeit at a slower pace than in previous years, with the employment rate among people aged 20-64 increasing (+0.5 percentage points) and the unemployment rate declining (-0.4 percentage points). Italy remained well below the EU27 average for the employment rate.
  • Despite the progress made in recent years, significant gender and territorial disparities persist: in 2025, women and residents of Southern Italy experienced lower employment and higher unemployment levels, while men and the North continued to show more favourable conditions.
  • In 2023, non-regular workers accounted for 10% of total employment in Italy, up slightly from 2022 (+0.3 percentage points).
  • Goal 8 – Decent Work and Economic Growth (.pdf, in Italian)

  • Research intensity, measured by the R&D-to-GDP ratio, increased until 2020, then declined and stabilised at 1.37% in 2023, below the EU27 average of 2.26%.
  • Business R&D expenditure as a share of GDP increased from 0.71% in 2013 to a peak of 0.93% in 2020, before declining to 0.80% in 2023.
  • In 2025, 15.3% of enterprises made online sales to final customers (+1.1 percentage points compared with 2024), while 12.1% made online sales to the public sector and other enterprises (+1.2 percentage points compared with 2024).
  • The share of ICT specialists in total employment declined from 3.5% in 2019 to 3.0% in 2025, remaining stable compared with 2024.
  • In 2024, total freight transport amounted to 1,694.9 million tonnes, an increase of 4.5 percentage points compared with 2023.
  • Goal 9 – Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure  (.pdf, in Italian)

  • In 2025, the disposable income of households increased by 2.4% compared to the previous year (+32.4 billion euro), resulting in a recovery in purchasing power (+0.9% compared to 2024).
  • In 2024, the top 20% of the population with the highest incomes had, on average, 5.1 times the income of the poorest 20%, a decrease of 0.4 points compared to the previous year.
  • In 2025, the share of people at risk of poverty stood at 18.6% (approximately 10.9 million individuals), 1.3 percentage points lower than a decade earlier. Marked territorial and socio-demographic disparities persisted: the incidence was highest in the Islands (35.4%) and among foreign citizens (34.9%).
  • In 2024, new residence permits decreased by 12.3% compared to 2023, because of the drop in entries for study and family. Regular residents rose to 3.8 million (+5.6%) and citizenship acquisitions (217,448) slightly increased (+1.8%), concentrating for over half in the North of the country.
  • Goal 10 – Reduced Inequalities  (.pdf, in Italian)

  • In 2024, the share of municipal capitals with annual average PM2.5 concentrations above 20 micrograms per cubic metre fell to 11.0%, down from 25.0% in 2014.
  • In 2023, premature deaths attributable to PM2.5 exposure decreased to 73 per 100,000 inhabitants (down from 86 in 2022).
  • In 2025, the following shares improved slightly compared with the previous year: households reporting difficulties accessing public transport (34.0%), students who usually travel to their place of study by public transport (28.9%), and frequent public transport users (13.9%).
  • In 2024, the overall supply of local public transport services in municipal capitals remains broadly stable (at 4,699 seat-km per inhabitant).
  • Goal 11 – Sustainable Cities and Communities  (.pdf, in Italian)

  • In 2024, domestic material consumption remained stable both in relation to GDP (0.26 tonne per thousand euros) and population. Italy continued to rank among the leading countries within the European context.
  • Municipal waste generated per capita grew compared with the previous year (+2.3%), but Italy, with 507.7 kg per inhabitant, remained below the EU27 average.
  • In 2024, both separate collection of municipal waste and recycling rate continued to increase (+1.0 and +1.5 percentage points, respectively, compared with 2023).
  • The circular material use rate reached 21.6% in 2024, placing Italy among the best performing countries in EU27.
  • Goal 12 – Responsible Consumption and Production  (.pdf, in Italian)

  • In 2024, the greenhouse gas emissions from the Italian economy continued to decline (-2.8% compared to the previous year), below the lowest level recorded in 2020.
  • Among industrial sectors, electricity, gas, steam, and air conditioning supply, as well as manufacturing, contributed most to the reduction. Emissions from households increased (+3.5%), mainly due to private transportation (+5.2%).
  • In 2024, temperatures were 1.04°C higher than the 1991-2020 average globally and by 1.33°C in Italy.
  • In 2024, 2.2% of Italy’s resident population was at risk of landslides. In the same year, there were 15 earthquakes with a magnitude of 4.0 or higher. In 2025, there were also 15 such events, all with a magnitude below 5.0.
  • In 2024, wildfires affected 1.8 per thousand km2 of the national territory.Goal 13 – Climate Action  (.pdf, in Italian)

  • In 2024, beached marine litter remained stable compared with 2023 (252 items per 100 meters of beach), showing a significant decrease compared with 2015 (518 items/100 m) but still far from EU27 Target (20/100 m).
  • In 2024, 11.6% of Italy’s coastal waters are protected by marine protected areas. The proportion of marine protected areas has slowly increased (+1.3 p.p. since 2018) but remains well below the EU27 target of 30% by 2030.
  • In 2023, the proportion of sustainable fish stocks increased significantly to 56% (+17.7 p.p. compared with 2022).
  • In 2024, the share of bathing waters with excellent quality remained stable compared with 2023 (90.6%). 98% of the waters meet the minimum EU27 standards.
  • Goal 14 – Life Below Water  (.pdf, in Italian)

  • Forest areas have increased in extent and density: in 2025, they covered 31.9% of the national territory (+1.7 percentage points since 2015 and +12.7% in biomass per hectare).
  • Sustainable certified forest areas also increased (1.1 million hectares in 2024; +9% compared with the previous year), but accounted for only 11.1% of total forest areas, compared with the EU27 average of 55.8%.
  • Protected areas covered 21.7% of the national territory in 2024 (+0.1 percentage points since 2012). No progress was observed towards the 30% target set for 2030, according to the European and National Biodiversity Strategies.
  • In 2024, 42.4% of Italian territory showed high or very high fragmentation, linked to land consumption, that impaired the ability of ecosystem to support “life on Earth”.
  • Goal 15 – Life on Land  (.pdf, in Italian)

  • In 2024, homicides decreased slightly (0.56 per 100,000 inhabitants), returning to the 2022 level, which represents a historic low.
  • In 2025, the prison density index worsened (from 120.6 in 2024 to 123.8 in 2025) due to an increase in the Italian inmate population rather than in the foreign inmate population.
  • In Italy, the average length of civil proceedings decreased to 409 days (down from 446 in 2024). The shortest average was recorded in Valle d’Aosta/Vallée d’Aoste (160 days), whilst the longest was in Basilicata (828 days).
  • In 2025, the percentage of people with a positive evaluation of the Municipal Register services increased slightly (+1.4 percentage points).
  • Goal 16 – Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions  (.pdf, in Italian)

  • After the contraction in 2023, the share of Official Development Assistance (ODA) in gross national income increased for the second consecutive year, reaching 0.30% in 2025, according to provisional data. The share of ODA allocated to the least developed countries also increased in 2024, reaching 0.05%.
  • In 2025, remittances sent abroad by immigrants in Italy increased by 3.9% (+€323 million compared with 2024), reaching €8.6 billion.
  • In Italy, the share of households living in areas with a very high-capacity next-generation access (Fiber To The Home – FTTH) has grown steadily over the years, rising from 23.9% in 2018 to 77.6% in 2025.
  • Goal 17 – Partnerships (.pdf, in Italian)

SDGs ONU website
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