Italian Rents Skyrocket, Outpacing Wages and Fueling Housing Crisis

Rents in Italy's major cities have surged dramatically between 2019 and 2025, far outpacing wage growth and creating significant barriers to housing for young people, families, and workers. This trend, highlighted by an analysis from CNA based on data from the Revenue Agency's real estate observatory and net wage trends, points to a growing housing affordability crisis.

The study reveals that in the analyzed provincial capitals, rental costs for a standard 70-square-meter apartment have climbed between 19% and nearly 50%. In stark contrast, net wages have seen much more modest increases, generally ranging from 7% to 15%. Milan and Florence lead this surge, with rents jumping 49% since 2019. Consequently, the average monthly rent in Milan now exceeds 1,800 euros, while in Florence, it stands at 1,340 euros.

Other cities like Bologna, Padua, Venice, and Naples have also experienced rent increases exceeding 40%, with Rome following at around 37%. Cities in southern Italy and those less affected by tourism and university pressures, such as Potenza, Campobasso, and Catanzaro, saw the smallest rent hikes, ranging from 19% to 23%.

The analysis further underscores the growing burden of rent on average net salaries, particularly in university towns and major industrial hubs. In Milan, rent consumes 73% of a net salary, and in Florence, it accounts for 62%. Rents surpass 50% of average wages in cities including Bologna, Venice, Rome, Padua, and Verona.

CNA President Dario Costantini stated that the housing issue is no longer just a social concern but a genuine economic emergency. He warned that it risks stifling growth, investment, and local development. CNA advocates for an effective housing plan and incentives for property renovation to address the crisis, emphasizing that the alternative is increasingly unaffordable cities that struggle to retain the young talent essential for national growth.

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The issue of housing no longer represents just a social question but a real economic emergency that risks hindering growth, investments, and local development.