September 26, 2025 11:14

The Italian packaging industry continues to show resilience even in difficult times and confirms itself as one of the country’s industrial strengths, accounting for 3.3% of manufacturing turnover and 1.7% of GDP, with over 110,000 employees working across more than 7,100 companies.

According to the figures in Imballaggio in Cifre 2025, the annual report published by the Italian Packaging Institute (Istituto Italiano Imballaggio), production volumes of empty packaging reached 17.26 million tonnes in 2024 (all materials), a slight increase over the previous year (up 1.1%), although total sector turnover fell by 1.2% to €37.96 billion.

The reasons behind the divergence between output and sales are essentially twofold: lower raw material costs, which drove prices down, and growing competitive pressure, which forced further reductions despite stable demand.

Unlike other manufacturing sectors in Italy, domestic demand remains the main driver, with food and beverage accounting for almost 80% of packaging produced in the country. The most dynamic segments, according to the institute’s analysts, are e-commerce, cosmetics and food.

Being a sector geared largely to the domestic market, foreign trade remains its weak spot, with the deficit worsening further last year. Imports rose to 2.89 million tonnes (up 3.4%), exceeding exports, which stood at 2.72 million tonnes (up 1.8%). The gap therefore widened to 171,100 tonnes, up 37% compared to 2023. This trend, the study notes, reflects the ongoing relocation of packaging multinationals toward more competitive production areas.

For the current year, the institute forecasts moderate production growth, around one percentage point, with an average annual rate of 1.2% expected through 2028.

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