From 2011 to 2024, 6% of young Italians will expatriate
OECD data presented at the Future@Work 2026 summit highlights the loss of talented graduates abroad due to competitive salaries
Quick Look
- Between 2011 and 2024, 6% of young Italians between the ages of 18 and 34 emigrated, with over half having a university degree.
- The phenomenon is fueled by significantly higher entry salaries abroad compared to Italy.
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Why It Matters
The phenomenon of brain drain particularly affects young Italian graduates, attracted by more advantageous salary conditions abroad.
Between 2011 and 2024, 6% of young Italians between the ages of 18 and 34 left the country, and over half graduated. Almost 60% find work abroad precisely in professions in which Italian companies cannot find staff. This is the framework of the OECD 2026 data presented by Marco Gallo, managing director of HRC Community, the network that brings together personnel directors of large Italian and international companies, at the Future@Work 2026 summit.
The event is being held today at the INPS in Rome with over 100 human resources directors. What holds back the attractiveness, according to the Cnel 2025 young expat report illustrated by Giulio Buciuni (Trinity College Dublin), are the entry salaries: around 30 thousand euros gross for a new graduate in Italy, compared to an average of 45 thousand abroad.
Open Questions
- What specific policies could reverse the trend?
- What is the direct economic impact on Italian businesses?
