More technology, telephony, IT and leisure-related services, and fewer traditional physical goods (home food, clothing) in the spending of Italian families, which looking at the dynamics of the last thirty years in 2026 has surpassed the historic peak of 2007.
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From an analysis by the Confcommercio Research Office on the consumption of Italian families 1995-2026, it emerges that technology, telephony and IT are at the top of Italians’ consumption habits, recording a growth of almost 3,200% in thirty years. Consumption related to leisure activities (cultural and recreational services) also grew by 137% in the same period. Good performance in catering (+25.3%) and spending on travel and holidays (+17.2%) which, however, have not yet returned to pre-Covid levels.
Spending on telephony and IT has driven consumption growth
In 2026, real per capita spending on consumption reached 23,261 euros (an increase of 314 euros compared to 2025), surpassing pre-Covid levels but also the peak of 2007 (22,975 euros), the year the global financial crisis began. The recovery in demand, also favored by the progressive growth in employment and incomes, however, did not allow a full recovery of consumption levels for all spending segments.
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Spending on technology, telephony and IT has driven family consumption, which recorded the strongest growth of the last thirty years: volume spending on IT devices, telephony and related services increased from less than 8 euros to 252 euros per capita, the boom is also attributable to the shift from luxury/niche goods in the 90s (first cell phones, desktop PCs) to essential goods and continuous consumption (smartphones, tablets, internet subscriptions, cloud and interconnected devices).
Consumption related to leisure activities also confirms, in quantitative terms, a progressive growth trend. The volumes purchased of goods and services have recorded a growth close to 50% from 1995 to 2026 in real terms. Among the most dynamic, besides audiovisual products, are cultural, recreational and entertainment services which, after the deep crisis of the pandemic, are recording very positive performances leading to an estimate of volumes purchased of 637 euros in 2026 compared to 394 euros spent in 2007.
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