France and Italy
Borders, transport, industry and culture make the relationship extensive. The Quirinal Treaty formalizes enhanced cooperation since 2021. Cross-border projects and youth civic service have functions distinct from trade and defense.
Analysis reviewed: 2026-10-07 · Indicators updated: 2026-10-07The border and infrastructure
The French profile highlights transport and infrastructure within cross-border connections, often cofinanced by European programs.
Enhanced cooperation as a reference
The treaty provides an institutional basis for tracking subsequent meetings and actions without asserting that every obligation has already been fulfilled.
Bilateral indicators
Blank cells: data unavailable.
| Indicator | Value | Period |
|---|---|---|
| Goods trade | 116,717.74 M USD | 2025 · UN Comtrade / FRA |
| Goods: France to Italy | 54,727.07 M USD | 2025 · UN Comtrade / FRA |
| Goods: Italy to France | 61,990.67 M USD | 2025 · UN Comtrade / FRA |
| Services trade | ||
| Export share: France to Italy | 7.94 % | 2025 · UN Comtrade / FRA |
| Export share: Italy to France | ||
| Investment stock: France in Italy | ||
| Investment stock: Italy in France |
Definitions and sources
Trade adds both directions. Shares refer to the country’s total goods exports; investment is an accumulated stock, not an annual flow. Every figure retains the currency and period of its source. BEA positions are historical-cost estimates based on the immediate counterpart, not market values or investment by ultimate owner. ‘More than’ indicates a lower bound, not an exact amount. A recorded stock does not establish new activity or authorisation to operate under sanctions.
- Goods trade
- 2025 · UN Comtrade / FRA · Goods; full year; FRA reporter. Exports normally FOB and imports CIF according to the reporter's coverage. No addition of mirror reports.
- Goods: France to Italy
- 2025 · UN Comtrade / FRA · Goods; full year; FRA reporter. Exports normally FOB and imports CIF according to the reporter's coverage. No addition of mirror reports.
- Goods: Italy to France
- 2025 · UN Comtrade / FRA · Goods; full year; FRA reporter. Exports normally FOB and imports CIF according to the reporter's coverage. No addition of mirror reports.
- Export share: France to Italy
- 2025 · UN Comtrade / FRA · Goods share: FRA exports to the partner / the same reporter's exports to the world, same year.
Country comparison
Period and source beside each figure · est. = estimate by the stated institution.
| Indicator | France | Italy |
|---|---|---|
| Nominal GDP | 3.37 trillion USD2025 · WB | 2.55 trillion USD2025 · WB |
| GDP per capita | 48,985.73 USD2025 · WB | 43,308.64 USD2025 · WB |
| GDP growth | 0.84 %2025 · WB | 0.54 %2025 · WB |
| Policy interest rate | 2.5 %2026-09-16 · BCE | 2.5 %2026-09-16 · BCE |
| Inflation · annual average | 0.94 %Annual average · 2025 · WB | 1.53 %Annual average · 2025 · WB |
| Inflation · latest year-on-year figure | 3 %provisionalprovisionalYear-on-year · Sept. 2026 · Insee | |
| Unemployment | 7.54 %ILO est.2025 · WB | 6.39 %ILO est.2025 · WB |
| Budget balance (% of GDP) | -5.1 %IMF est.2025 · IMF | -3.1 %IMF est.2025 · IMF |
| Gross public debt (% of GDP) | 116 %IMF est.2025 · IMF | 137.1 %IMF est.2025 · IMF |
| Current account balance (% of GDP) | -0.27 %2025 · WB | 1.15 %2025 · WB |
| Population | 68,720,3372025 · WB | 58,915,656World Bank est.2025 · WB |
| Area | 606,410 km²2023 · BM / FAO | 302,070 km²2023 · WB |
| Military expenditure | ||
| Military expenditure (% of GDP) |
Definitions, dates and sources
Blank cells are not zero. Average annual inflation and the latest year-on-year figure appear in separate rows: they are not the same measure. Every annual indicator retains its reference year; when the years differ, the figures are identified as not directly comparable. When a figure is unavailable from the World Bank, an annual IMF estimate is used and identified as such. The latest year-on-year figure is the latest official release verified as of 7 October 2026. This includes advance releases marked as provisional. Mexico may have a fortnightly figure before the full month is published; it is not automatically compared with a monthly figure. The publication date is retained in each source’s details; it does not replace the observation period or the annual average. Policy rates carry their own dates and represent different instruments. Spain and France share the ECB rate. Balances are positive for surpluses and negative for deficits. The IMF may use fiscal years; unemployment retains each source’s definition (ILO estimates, IMF WEO or PCBS), as stated in the details. For Palestine, debt and the fiscal balance cover central government and retain the PCBS definition; they are not presented as consolidated general government. These are economic magnitudes, not measures of relationship quality.
Area retains each source’s territorial coverage; it does not determine sovereignty or effective control. Canada uses an archived national geographic reference. Military expenditure retains the 2024 SIPRI sample distributed by the World Bank: the amount and percentage of GDP use that same definition, which differs from NATO’s. It is not an approved budget or a 2026 figure. Information from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). Military expenditure database · Terms of use0
Indicators reviewed: 2026-10-07. Each source retains its original access date; this review does not turn all the data into 2026 observations. Figures may be revised.
- Nominal GDP
- Current USDFrance: 2025 · World BankItaly: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series. Observation year, not download date.
- GDP per capita
- Current USD per personFrance: 2025 · World BankItaly: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series. Observation year, not download date.
- GDP growth
- Annual real change (%)France: 2025 · World BankItaly: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series. Observation year, not download date.
- Policy interest rate
- Central bank instrument (%)France: 2026-09-16 · ECB deposit facility; shared euro-area rate · European Central BankItaly: 2026-09-16 · ECB: deposit facility; shared euro-area rate · European Central Bank · ECB deposit facility rate, shared by euro-area members; not an independent national rate.
- Inflation · annual average
- Average annual change in headline CPI (%)France: 2025 · Annual average change in CPI (%) · World BankItaly: 2025 · Annual average change in the CPI (%) · World Bank · Official World Bank series. Observation year, not download date.
- Inflation · latest year-on-year figure
- Headline CPI relative to the same period of the previous year (%); monthly or fortnightly frequency statedFrance: 2026-09 · Change in headline CPI from the same month of the previous year (%) · Insee · Published: 2026-09-30 · provisional · Provisional · National headline CPI, year-on-year, not monthly inflation or an annual average. Provisional data or an official advance release; subject to revision.
- Unemployment
- % of the labour force; definition used by the stated institutionFrance: 2025 · World Bank · ILO est.Italy: 2025 · ILO modelled estimate; percentage of the labour force · World Bank · ILO est. · Official World Bank series. Observation year, not download date.
- Budget balance
- General government (% of GDP)France: 2025 · IMF — World Economic Outlook · IMF est.Italy: 2025 · IMF · IMF est. · WEO general-government estimate, % of GDP. Not an observed balance for the current month.
- Gross public debt
- General government (% of GDP)France: 2025 · IMF — World Economic Outlook · IMF est.Italy: 2025 · IMF · IMF est. · WEO general-government estimate, % of GDP. Not an observed balance for the current month.
- Current account balance
- % of GDPFrance: 2025 · World BankItaly: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series. Observation year, not download date.
- Population
- PeopleFrance: 2025 · World BankItaly: 2025 · World Bank · World Bank est. · Extrapolated estimate identified by the World Bank; not a census for the reference year.
- Area
- Total area in km²; territorial coverage of the sourceFrance: 2023 · Total area, including inland waters; territorial coverage as defined by the source · World Bank · FAOItaly: 2023 · World Bank · Official World Bank series. Observation year, not download date.
- Military expenditure
- Current USD per year; SIPRI series
- Military expenditure (% of GDP)
- Percentage of GDP; SIPRI definition, not NATO’s definition
Other data specific to this relationship
What they buy and sell
Documented selection, not an exhaustive list. Cells without a figure do not mean zero value; some products are identified without a verified amount.
France to Italy
| Product or sector | Value / share |
|---|---|
| Mineral fuels and oils | 5,747.6 M USD2025 · Source |
| Land vehicles and components | 4,574.5 M USD2025 · Source |
| Machinery and mechanical appliances | 3,769.4 M USD2025 · Source |
| Electrical and electronic equipment | 3,101.3 M USD2025 · Source |
| Pharmaceutical products | 2,525.3 M USD2025 · Source |
Italy to France
| Product or sector | Value / share |
|---|---|
| Machinery and mechanical appliances | 7,438.9 M USD2025 · Source |
| Pharmaceutical products | 6,579 M USD2025 · Source |
| Land vehicles and components | 4,838.4 M USD2025 · Source |
| Electrical and electronic equipment | 2,847.6 M USD2025 · Source |
| Mineral fuels and oils | 999.2 M USD2025 · Source |
Connections between people
Education, work, visits and community connections have their own records and procedures. Residents are not equivalent to annual arrivals, and visits may be repeated. The tables retain dates, definitions and sources to distinguish these connections from business contracts and government decisions. [1]
Residents, study and travel
Blank cells: data unavailable. Each measure retains its definition and period.
| Indicator | Value | Period / source |
|---|---|---|
| Residents from France living in Italy | ||
| Residents from Italy living in France | ||
| Study and training: France in Italy | ||
| Study and training: Italy in France | ||
| Academic stays: France in Italy | ||
| Academic stays: Italy in France | ||
| Travel: France to Italy | ||
| Travel: Italy to France |
What each figure measures
Residents are counted by nationality and the coverage of the stated register, not as people born in the other country or as new arrivals in one year. PERE includes dual nationals and people born outside Spain. Study with OPT and stays carrying academic credit are different measures. Travel may include several visits by the same person; FRONTUR arrivals require an overnight stay, whereas the Canadian survey includes day visits. These figures are neither added together nor automatically compared across directions.
Mobility data added or reviewed: 2026-10-07. Reference periods may be earlier.
Underlying ties
History, institutions and long-standing issues.
The Quirinal Treaty
The treaty was signed in Rome on 26 November 2021. It organizes enhanced bilateral cooperation through specific institutions and sectors. Shared EU participation does not remove the usefulness of dedicated mechanisms. A framework treaty does not replace contracts, financing and permits needed to implement each infrastructure project or education program. [1]
The border and infrastructure
The French profile highlights transport and infrastructure within cross-border connections, often cofinanced by European programs. Border communities and businesses have needs different from trade between capitals. Construction of a connection and traffic subsequently using it are separate measures; all traffic is not inferred from annual customs value. [1]
Civic service and culture
The Quirinal envisages Franco-Italian civic service for young people undertaking missions in the other country. That mechanism does not amount to permanent immigration or university enrollment. Cultural contacts have their own institutions and can continue amid political differences. Human figures in this profile are added only when coverage and period are verifiable. [1]
The scale of the two economies
France recorded nominal GDP of USD 3366.3 billion in 2025, compared with 2551.6 in 2025 for Italy. The reference populations were 68.72 million (2025) and 58.92 million (2025), respectively. In the same year, France's nominal GDP was 1.32 times that of Italy. The figures contextualize market size; they do not in themselves describe well-being, individual wealth or political influence. IMF estimates or demographic extrapolations retain their markings in the table. A ratio is not calculated when the periods do not match. [3] [4] [5] [6]
Recent developments
Recent developments and latest available data · Reviewed: 2026-10-07
Enhanced cooperation as a reference
The treaty provides an institutional basis for tracking subsequent meetings and actions without asserting that every obligation has already been fulfilled. The 2025 goods data provide an independent economic observation. The relationship is also understood through local mobility, investments and industrial chains, not only an export figure or leaders' meeting. [1]
Observed economic exchange
In 2025, goods recorded between France and Italy totaled 116,717.7 million USD. France's shipments to Italy were 54,727.1 million USD; those in the reverse direction were 61,990.7 million USD. France's shipments to the partner represented 7.94% of its goods exports to the world, using the same year and reporting country. A single customs declaration is used for both directions. This annual flow does not include all services activity or subsidiaries' local sales and is not added to accumulated investment capital. [2]
Milestones and consequences
Sources and data
Periods and scope of the figures
Each figure retains its period, unit, definition and source. Announcements, contracts and results are not interchangeable. Empty cells do not mean zero. Customs data for 2025 are not presented as activity observed during later crises.
- France–Italy relations and the Quirinal Treaty
France's Ministry of Foreign Affairs · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- Annual TOTAL X/M; 2025; reporter 251; partners 0,643,699,380,504,12,686
UN Comtrade / FRA · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- Official statistics
World Bank · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-09-17
- NY.GDP.MKTP.CD; ISO and reference year; no military dataset expansion
World Bank · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- Official statistics
World Bank · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-06
- SP.POP.TOTL; ISO and reference year; no military dataset expansion
World Bank · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- HS2 27; 2025; reporter 251; partners 643,699,380,504,12,686; X/M; annual goods
UN Comtrade / FRA · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- HS2 30; 2025; reporter 251; partners 643,699,380,504,12,686; X/M; annual goods
UN Comtrade / FRA · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- HS2 84; 2025; reporter 251; partners 643,699,380,504,12,686; X/M; annual goods
UN Comtrade / FRA · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- HS2 85; 2025; reporter 251; partners 643,699,380,504,12,686; X/M; annual goods
UN Comtrade / FRA · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- HS2 87; 2025; reporter 251; partners 643,699,380,504,12,686; X/M; annual goods
UN Comtrade / FRA · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
Additional sources on products and human connections
- UN Comtrade / FRA
2026-10-07 · Accessed: 2026-10-07 · HS2 27; 2025; reporter 251; partners 643,699,380,504,12,686; X/M; annual goods.
- UN Comtrade / FRA
2026-10-07 · Accessed: 2026-10-07 · HS2 87; 2025; reporter 251; partners 643,699,380,504,12,686; X/M; annual goods.
- UN Comtrade / FRA
2026-10-07 · Accessed: 2026-10-07 · HS2 84; 2025; reporter 251; partners 643,699,380,504,12,686; X/M; annual goods.
- UN Comtrade / FRA
2026-10-07 · Accessed: 2026-10-07 · HS2 85; 2025; reporter 251; partners 643,699,380,504,12,686; X/M; annual goods.
- UN Comtrade / FRA
2026-10-07 · Accessed: 2026-10-07 · HS2 30; 2025; reporter 251; partners 643,699,380,504,12,686; X/M; annual goods.