Inflation rates by country and year

-0.1%5.2%10.5%15.8%21.1%
-0.1%5.2%10.5%15.8%21.1%
19602.4%
19925.3%
20251.5%
Source: World Bank

Data: World Bank, annual %. For information only — not financial advice.

Year2025Inflation Rate1.5%

Behind the curve

Turning points in Italy

  1. 1973↑ Upward pressure

    Oil costs amplify existing inflation — Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)

    The oil embargo increased imported energy costs in Italy. It added to earlier wage pressures and lira depreciation, helping turn already rising prices into the high inflation of the mid-1970s.

    Bank of Italy · Lessons from the 1970s
  2. 1979↑ Upward pressure

    A second wave of oil-price inflation — Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)

    The second oil shock renewed Italy’s price surge in 1979–1980. Automatic wage adjustments helped transmit rising living costs into labour costs and sustain inflation.

    Bank of Italy · From the 1950s to Maastricht
  3. 1981↓ Downward pressure

    Greater monetary-policy autonomy — Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)

    The Bank of Italy gained autonomy over purchases of Treasury bills left unsold at auction. Alongside exchange-rate discipline and wage moderation, this institutional change supported disinflation in the 1980s.

    Bank of Italy · From the 1950s to Maastricht
  4. 1992↓ Downward pressure

    The end of the scala mobile — Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)

    The July 1992 agreement abolished automatic wage indexation. A new bargaining framework followed in 1993, helping curb the feedback between past inflation and future wage increases.

    Bank of Italy · Annual report, 1992 Bank of Italy · Incomes-policy evaluation
  5. 2020↓ Downward pressure

    The pandemic and falling energy prices — Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)

    During the pandemic, falling energy prices pulled Italy’s annual consumer-price change below zero. Prices excluding energy still increased, so the decline was not shared by every part of the consumption basket.

    Istat · Consumer prices, December 2020
  6. 2022↑ Upward pressure

    The surge in household energy costs — Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)

    Soaring energy prices were the main driver of Italy’s sharp inflation increase in 2022. The shock also spread beyond energy, while households with less spending power faced a heavier inflation burden.

    Istat · Consumer prices, December 2022

These are selected historical influences, not a complete account of inflation. An upward-pressure event can coincide with a peak when its inflationary effect has already occurred or when other forces begin pushing inflation lower. The markers show the years in which events occurred, although their effects may extend into later years.

What is the inflation in Italy?

The annual inflation rate in Italy was 1.5% in 2025, the most recent year in the World Bank dataset. That means prices rose 1.5% on average compared with the year before. Use the chart above to explore Italy's full inflation history from 1960 to 2025, and to compare it with any other country.

How inflation in Italy has changed

Inflation in Italy peaked at 21.1% in 1980 and reached its lowest point at -0.1% in 2020. Averaged across the 66 years of available data (1960–2025), the rate has been 5.5% per year.

Frequently asked questions about inflation in Italy

What is the current inflation rate in Italy?

The latest available annual figure is 1.5% in 2025, from the World Bank. Because the figures are reported annually, they may not reflect the most recent monthly reading published by Italy's statistical office.

What was the highest inflation rate in Italy?

The highest annual inflation rate on record is 21.1%, reached in 1980.

What was the lowest inflation rate in Italy?

The lowest annual inflation rate on record is -0.1%, recorded in 2020.

Where does the inflation data for Italy come from?

All figures come from the World Bank's World Development Indicators (indicator FP.CPI.TOTL.ZG), which report annual consumer price inflation for more than 200 countries and territories from 1960 onward.