Finding a plumber, a locksmith, or an electrician has become more complicated in many parts of Italy. The country has almost 434,000 fewer artisans than ten years ago: there were 1.7 million in 2015, and by 2025 they have dropped to almost 1.3 million. A decrease of 25.1%, according to the Cgia Study Office, the Association of Artisans and Small Businesses of Mestre.
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Businesses are also decreasing. After reaching a peak in 2008, when there were almost 1.5 million, the number of active artisan business locations has dropped to 1.22 million in 2025.
The worst data in Marche and Umbria
In ten years, no region has managed to avoid the decline. The sharpest contraction is recorded in Marche, where the number of artisans has decreased by 31.3%. Followed by Umbria with 29.3%, Emilia-Romagna with 28.7%, and Piedmont with 28.4%. In the South, the contraction is more contained, at 20.2%.
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The latest available year also confirms the trend: between 2024 and 2025, the province with the largest percentage decrease is Pesaro-Urbino, with 8.3%, ahead of Mantua, 7.9%, and Bologna, 7.5%.
The Cgia recalls that part of the decrease is due to mergers and acquisitions following the crises of 2008-2009, 2012-2013, and 2020-2021. Fewer businesses, in some sectors, have meant generally larger companies and greater productivity. This has happened especially in freight transport, metalworking, plant installation, and fashion.
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