Public sector employment as a share of total employment in Italy

Italy: Public sector employment as a share of total employment was 19.54 in 2020. ▼ Falling

Latest (2020)
19.54
Change on year
up 8.8%
World rank
39th
of 79 countries
All-time high
25.43
in 2007
All-time low
17.96
in 2019
Years of data
14
2007–2020

Public sector employment as a share of total employment in Italy, 2007–2020

01020302007201320202007: 25.42008: 21.22009: 18.22010: 18.62011: 19.72012: 19.42013: 192014: 19.22015: 19.72016: 19.52017: 20.32018: 18.62019: 182020: 19.5

Source: Our World in Data.

Analysis

Italy recorded 19.54 for public sector employment as a share of total employment in 2020.

The figure is up 8.8% on the previous year and up 4.8% over ten years.

Over the whole period, public sector employment as a share of total employment in Italy peaked at 25.43 in 2007 and was at its lowest, 17.96, in 2019.

That places Italy 39th out of 79 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 14 years of available data.

Public sector employment as a share of total employment in Italy, year by year

Annual values for Public sector employment as a share of total employment in Italy, 2007 to 2020.
Year Value Change
2007 25.43 —
2008 21.2 -16.6%
2009 18.19 -14.2%
2010 18.63 +2.4%
2011 19.69 +5.7%
2012 19.36 -1.7%
2013 19.03 -1.7%
2014 19.17 +0.7%
2015 19.75 +3.0%
2016 19.46 -1.5%
2017 20.26 +4.1%
2018 18.58 -8.3%
2019 17.96 -3.3%
2020 19.54 +8.8%

Italy compared with similar countries

  • Italy's 19.54 is below the median for high income countries, which is 23.54, 83% of the median. (34 countries reporting)
  • Italy's 19.54 is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 24.43, 80% of the median. (35 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 21.6 18.19 25.43 3
2010s 19.19 17.96 20.26 10
2020s 19.54 19.54 19.54 1

Countries ranked near Italy

  1. 36 Namibia 20.21 compare
  2. 37 Australia 20.01 compare
  3. 38 Albania 19.96 compare
  4. 40 South Africa 19.46 compare
  5. 41 Argentina 18.88 compare
  6. 42 Mauritius 18.29 compare

See the full ranking of 79 places →

More work & labour data for Italy

All data for Italy →

Frequently asked questions

What is public sector employment as a share of total employment in Italy?
Public sector employment as a share of total employment in Italy was 19.54 in 2020, according to Our World in Data.
What is the highest public sector employment as a share of total employment recorded in Italy?
The highest recorded value was 25.43 in 2007.
What is the lowest public sector employment as a share of total employment recorded in Italy?
The lowest recorded value was 17.96 in 2019.
How does Italy rank for public sector employment as a share of total employment?
Italy ranks 39th out of 79 countries with data for 2020.
Is public sector employment as a share of total employment rising or falling in Italy?
Over the last ten years it is up 4.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Italy data come from?
The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Public sector employment as a share of total employment. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Public sector employment as a share of total employment in Italy. Statizoid, drawing on Our World in Data. Retrieved 11 November 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/public-sector-employment-as-a-share-of-total-employment/italy/

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About this data

Indicator
Public sector employment as a share of total employment
Source
Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
79 places, 1,004 data points, 2000–2022
Last refreshed