In 2024, 8.87\u202fbillion cubic metres of water were withdrawn in Italy for public water supply, the lowest level recorded in the past 25 years and 3.0% lower than in 2022.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For more than twenty years, Italy has been the EU country that has withdrawn the most freshwater for public water supply, well ahead of France and Germany. This record is associated with an extensive use of groundwater sources. On a per\u2011capita basis, Italy also ranks among the highest in Europe, with 150 cubic metres per inhabitant per year, second only to Ireland.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In 2024, more than one million residents in provincial and metropolitan capital municipalities were affected by water\u2011rationing measures (5.8% of the population), an increase compared with the 760,000 people affected in the previous year (4.3% in 2023). The number of municipalities involved also rose from 14 to 17. The most critical situations were concentrated in Southern Italy and, in particular, in Sicilia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In 2025, 2.7 million households reported having experienced irregularities in the home water supply service: this represents 10.2% of all households, an increase of 1.5 percentage points compared with 2024. In 2025, three out of 10 households did not trust drinking tap water, but the share rose to more than half in Sicilia (57.6%) and Sardegna (52.1%).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In 2023, natural mineral waters withdrawals for production purposes amounted to about 19 million cubic metres (+0.2% compared to 2022), with more than half located in the North (53.7%) and 22.9% in the South.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In 2023, output at basic prices of goods and services for wastewater and water management amounted to 15 billion euro at current prices (+0.5% compared with 2022) and value added to 6.2 billion euro (-1.3% compared with 2022), representing 0.3% of Italian GDP. Wastewater management accounts for 95% of output and the remaining 5% stems from water management, the highest quota being devoted to maintenance and repair of water networks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In 2023, the national expenditure for wastewater management services was 13.5 billion euro at current prices (1% more than in 2022); corporations accounted for 71% of total expenditure, households for 19% and General Government together with non-profit institutions for the remaining 10%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In 2023, 71.4% of wastewater management expenditure was for the purchase of wastewater services by households, corporations and General Government, 21.3% for investments (mainly by companies operating in the integrated water service); 7.3% by General Government for collective services (such as administrative services).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the 2022\/2023 agricultural year, of the 3,575 thousand hectares of irrigable agricultural land, 66.2% was located in the North. The main source of water supply at the national level is the aqueduct, irrigation consortium, or other irrigation body, which supplied water to 61.3% of the total irrigated area. In Central and Southern Italy, self-supply methods prevail, covering 69.2% and 49.8% of irrigated land respectively.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In 2024, over 91% of agricultural holdings reported irrigation-related difficulties. In Southern Italy, the phenomenon affected 97.5% of holdings in the South and 98.8% in the Islands, with peaks of 99.2% in Sicilia. In the Centre-north, the shares were lower (68% in the North-East and 81% in the Centre), highlighting a marked territorial disparity. At the national level, irrigation problems were reported by 58.9% of small holdings (up to 10 hectares), rising to 72.2% in the South, whereas among large holdings (over 50 hectares) the share decreases to 5.9%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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