ROMA (ITALPRESS) – In 2025 the sales of the enterprises of the industry in the strict sense and of the private non-financial services remained in the complex almost stable, after the bending recorded in the previous two years. In industry in the strict sense the demand continued to contract, but at a lower rate than 2024, thanks above all to the less negative contribution of the textile and metal sector. In services, however, the demand has grown again, driven by transport and professional services to enterprises and families. Approximately three quarters of the enterprises closed the exercise in hand, a still high share in historical comparison, although in a slight reduction compared to the previous two years.
For 2026 enterprises expect a substantial stability of overall sales: the weakness of domestic demand is opposed to a moderate growth of the foreign one, despite the continuing geopolitical tensions. This is what emerges from the survey on industrial enterprises and services on 2025 of Banca d’Italia. In 2025 production in the construction sector increased by 2.8%, recovering the decline recorded in the previous year. The positive dynamic was driven by public construction, which continued to expand at sustained pace while still benefiting from the support provided by the incentives associated with the National Resumption and Resilience Plan.
On the other hand, the negative trend of private construction continued, although in attenuation compared to 2024, the year in which the tax benefits connected with the Superbonus were exhausted. For 2026, enterprises are expected to have a stagnation of activity, mainly due to the contraction expected in public works. In 2025, despite the still weak economic framework, employment increased for the fifth consecutive year, at a rate similar to that observed in 2024.
In industry in the strict sense and in services the expansion of the sector was 0.7 and 1.5% respectively. Even in construction, employment continued to expand, although at a slightly more moderate rate than the previous survey. Enterprises provide for a further increase in employment in 2026, in line with that recorded in 2025. In 2025, the growth of sales prices by companies continued. The average increase of the lists was 2.0%, from 2.4 of 2024. The slowdown was common both to industry in the strict sense and to services and mainly concerned enterprises with less than 50 employees and those less oriented to export. For 2026 companies prefigure rising costs and acceleration of their sales prices, with an average growth of about one percentage point more sustained than the previous year. In 2025 28% of industrial enterprises and 23 of those of the services have reported greater financing needs.
The quotas, slightly increased compared to 2024, are still contained in comparison with the pre-pandemic period. The financing conditions remained unchanged, favoured by indebtedness rates considered as stable. In 2025 investments increased by 4.6%, accelerating compared to the previous year. Growth was mainly supported by manufacturing and energy sector, while investment in services slowed down.
For 2026, enterprises prefigure a contraction of investment, particularly marked in manufacturing and among smaller firms. Artificial intelligence continues to spread among Italian companies: at the beginning of 2026 the share of those who use it extensively, limited or even only experimental in their business processes rose by 5 percentage points compared to last year, to 32%. In all sectors the rate of adoption grows with the size of enterprise. The business functions in which it is most used are commercial relations with customers and suppliers, followed by the production of goods and services and the management of internal processes. Use for more specialized areas such as innovation and cybersecurity is generally less widespread.
– Photo Ipa Agency –
(ITALPRESS).
