Article by Luca Pons – Journalist, Fanpage.it
The average working life of Italians is the second shortest in the European Union, almost tied with last place. This was found by Eurostat, for 2024. In Italy, people work for an average of 32.8 years before retiring (Romania ranks last with 32.7 years). The European average is 37.2 years. This is because young people face many obstacles entering the workforce. This, combined with an increasingly aging population, risks putting the pension system under serious strain in the coming years. This was revealed by a study conducted by the National Confederation of Crafts (CNA).
Working life, therefore, is just under 33 years. In the 27 EU countries, people work for around 37 years, Spain and France are close to the average while in Germany the career span reaches 40 years; in the top positions are Denmark (42.5 years), Sweden (43) and the Netherlands (43.8 years). Exactly eleven years more, on average, than Italians.
In itself, the shortness of working life isn’t a problem. But Italy also has a large number of retirees, and their numbers are set to increase further in the coming years: the average age in the country is 48.7 (by far the highest in Europe), and 39.8% of the population is over 55. If those who work for just a few years, they don’t pay enough contributions to cover all these pensions. Thus, the system is unsustainable.
Germany launches state pocket money, giving children 10 euros a month to help them with their future pensions.
Not only does Italy already have the highest pension expenditure as a proportion of GDP (15.5%), but its population also has a very long life expectancy. Italians live to an average age of 83.5, surpassed only by Spain at 84. This, too, is obviously a positive figure, but in the context of pensions, it further complicates matters.
In short, there are few young people, few children are born (the average number of children per woman is 1.21 versus the European average of 1.38), and retirees tend to live very long. In this situation, again from the perspective of the pension system, at least good youth employment would be needed to compensate. But we know this isn’t the case. Working life is short in Italy not because people retire early, but above all because young people struggle to enter the workforce, not to mention that many, when they do, have to contend with unstable careers. Thus, despite the otherwise good living conditions Italy offers (just look at life expectancy), many choose to go abroad.
According to Eurostat data, Italian employment among 15-24 year-olds is at 19%. This is extremely low compared to Germany (51.2%), but also to the EU average (34.9%). The employment increase claimed by the Meloni government in recent years has occurred, especially among older people: among those under 30 , things have changed little . In Italy, those under 25 hold only 4.7% of available jobs: a figure that has not yet returned to pre-crisis levels, having stood at 6.1% in 2005. In Germany, it is 10.1%, in France 9.1%, and in Spain 6%. The greatest challenge appears to be a true generational turnover, but if this cannot be addressed, the pension system will face serious problems.
In itself, the shortness of working life isn’t a problem. But Italy also has a large number of retirees, and their numbers are set to increase further in the coming years: the average age in the country is 48.7 (by far the highest in Europe), and 39.8% of the population is over 55. If those who work for just a few years, they don’t pay enough contributions to cover all these pensions. Thus, the system is unsustainable.
Not only does Italy already have the highest pension expenditure as a proportion of GDP (15.5%), but its population also has a very long life expectancy. Italians live to an average age of 83.5, surpassed only by Spain at 84. This, too, is obviously a positive figure, but in the context of pensions, it further complicates matters.
In short, there are few young people, few children are born (the average number of children per woman is 1.21 versus the European average of 1.38), and retirees tend to live very long. In this situation, again from the perspective of the pension system, at least good youth employment would be needed to compensate. But we know this isn’t the case. Working life is short in Italy not because people retire early, but above all because young people struggle to enter the workforce, not to mention that many, when they do, have to contend with unstable careers. Thus, despite the otherwise good living conditions Italy offers (just look at life expectancy), many choose to go abroad.
According to Eurostat data, Italian employment among 15- to 24-year-olds stands at 19%. This is extremely low compared to Germany (51.2%), but also to the EU average (34.9%). The employment increase claimed by the Meloni government in recent years has occurred, especially among older people: among those under 30, things have changed little. In Italy, those under 25 hold only 4.7% of available jobs: a figure that has not yet returned to pre-crisis levels, having stood at 6.1% in 2005. In Germany, it is 10.1%, in France 9.1%, and in Spain 6%. The greatest challenge appears to be a true generational turnover, but if this cannot be addressed, the pension system will face serious problems.