Foreign-led companies grow 74% in central Italy

The province of Rieti, in the Lazio region, leads in the number of companies managed by foreigners in the sectors of agriculture, hospitality, construction, manufacturing and commerce.

Between 2010 and 2022, the province recorded a 74% increase in the number of foreign entrepreneurs, totaling 1.358 businesses, well above the regional average.

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Latina follows with an increase of 51,6%, Roma with 51,2%, Viterbo with 48,2% and Frosinone with 36,7%.

Another relevant fact is the female participation among foreign business leaders: in Rieti, 22,8% of companies are managed by women, exceeding the regional average of 22,7%.

Meanwhile, Italian-owned businesses are on the opposite trajectory. Over the same period, the province of Rieti saw a 9,7% drop in the number of Italian businesses, the largest in Lazio.

The other provinces also experienced losses, such as Viterbo (-8,5%), Latina (-7,2%), Rome (-4,4%), and Frosinone (-3,3%). This data was analyzed by the Ufficio Studi da Confartigianato Imprese Rieti, based on information about foreign residents.

In 2023, the province of Rieti had 13.636 foreigners, representing 9,1% of the local population.

The municipality of Rieti has the largest number of foreign residents (3.472), followed by Fara in Sabina (1.963), Poggio Mirteto (807), Scandriglia (491) and Stimigliano (487).

The Romanian community is the largest, representing 33,5% of the foreign population, followed by Albanians (5,7%) and Ukrainians (5,1%). There is also a significant presence of Asians (4%, with emphasis on Pakistanis and Afghans), Nigerians and Moroccans (3,5%), as well as Peruvians and Brazilians (1,5%). Among the 438.295 foreign workers registered with the INPS of Lazio, 1,8% are in the province of Rieti.

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A study of the Office Studi of Confartigianato, an Italian organization representing artisans and micro and small businesses, highlights that, at national level, one in ten companies is run by foreigners. Between 2010 and 2022, while businesses run by Italians fell by 10%, migrant businesses grew by around 40%.

Non-EU citizens represent 57% of this total.

The vitality of foreign entrepreneurship is linked to the profile of migrants, who are generally more dynamic people, open to risks and with a high capacity for adaptation.

Almost three-quarters of foreign-led companies are sole proprietors, and 60% of them are more than three years old.