Italy faces difficulties in offering competitive salaries to young professionals. A report released on November 10, 2026, shows that Italian graduates receive, on average, more than €1,000 less per month in take-home pay than the European benchmark presented in the study, five years after completing their studies.
The data help put into context an issue present in the debate over Italian citizenship: Why might a descendant of Italians want citizenship recognition without necessarily wanting to live in Italy?
According to the 2026 Svimez Report, presented at the Chamber of Deputies in Rome, the monthly take-home pay of graduates five years after earning their degree is €1,748 in southern Italy and €1,780 in central and northern Italy.
The European average used for comparison is €2,850.
This represents a monthly difference of €1,102 for professionals in southern Italy and €1,070 for those in central and northern Italy. The result highlights an economic challenge that may influence decisions about where to live and work.
Italy loses its salary appeal
The problem goes beyond the pay gap between Italy and other European countries. Between 2021 and the first half of 2026, real hourly wages fell by 9.9% in the Mezzogiorno, 7.2% on average in Italy and 0.6% in the eurozone, according to data released by Svimez.
Advertisement
The loss of purchasing power occurred even as employment increased. In the second quarter of 2026, southern Italy had 643,000 more workers than in 2021. Of that total, only 70,000 were under 35.
The report indicates that the labor market recovery provided limited benefits to young people. Another indicator underscores the economic vulnerability: 19.5% of workers in southern Italy live in households exposed to the risk of poverty. In central and northern Italy, the share is 6.8%.
These figures help explain Italy’s difficulties in retaining and attracting professionals, although migration decisions also depend on personal, family and professional factors.
What do salaries have to do with Italian citizenship?
For descendants of Italians living in Brazil, Argentina or other countries, citizenship recognition may involve different motivations. Preserving family history and a sense of belonging are among them. The possibility of studying, working or living in European Union countries may also be relevant.
Italian citizenship grants rights associated with European citizenship, including the right to work in other member states without requiring a work permit, subject to the conditions set out in European legislation.
Thus, an Italian citizen can choose to pursue a career in Germany, Ireland or the Netherlands without losing Italian citizenship.
Tajani calls for an effective connection with Italy
The discussion took on another dimension with the Italian citizenship reform introduced by Giorgia Meloni’s government.
On March 28, 2025, the government approved Decree-Law No. 36, later converted, with amendments, into Law No. 74 of May 23, 2025.
Advertisement
The legislation restricted citizenship recognition by descent for people born abroad who also hold another nationality, while maintaining exceptions and transitional rules. The exceptions include situations related to the exclusively Italian citizenship of parents or grandparents and the prior residence in Italy of one parent, in accordance with legal requirements.
When presenting the reform, Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani argued for the need to strengthen the effective connection between citizens living abroad and Italy. The government also justified the changes as a way to combat abuses and the sale of Italian passports.
