Germany vs Italy
Side-by-side economic and demographic comparison · 2026 data · Source: IMF & World Bank
Germany and Italy are the eurozone's first and third largest economies, but the gap has widened significantly since the creation of the euro. Italy's GDP has barely grown in real terms since 2000, while Germany's has expanded by roughly 30%. Italy's challenges include low productivity growth, an aging population, high government debt (140%+ of GDP), a rigid labor market, and a persistent north-south economic divide. Germany's competitive advantage in manufacturing has been reinforced by the euro — a currency that is weaker than the Deutschmark would be, making German exports more competitive.
Germany has a GDP of $5.33T compared to Italy's $2.70T, making it 2.0x larger. Germany's population is 83.5M vs Italy's 59.0M. Across 12 key indicators, Germany leads in 10 categories. All data sourced from the IMF World Economic Outlook and World Bank World Development Indicators.
| Indicator |  Germany |  Italy |
|---|---|---|
| GDP (USD) | $5.33T✓ | $2.70T |
| GDP per Capita | $63,600✓ | $45,883 |
| GDP Growth (%) | 0.9%✓ | 0.8% |
| GDP per Capita (PPP) | $75,480✓ | $64,809 |
| Population | 83.5M✓ | 59.0M |
| Life Expectancy | 80.5 years | 83.7 years✓ |
| Inflation (%) | 1.8%✓ | 2.0% |
| Unemployment (%) | 3.4%✓ | 6.7% |
| Govt Debt (% GDP) | 66.0%✓ | 138.3% |
| Fertility Rate | 1.4✓ | 1.2 |
| Gini Index | 32.4✓ | 34.3 |
| CO₂ per Capita (t) | 6.9 | 5.1✓ |
Summary
Germany has a GDP of $5.33T compared to Italy's $2.70T, making the former economy 2.0x larger. In terms of population, Germany has 83.5M people while Italy has 59.0M. Across the 12 indicators compared, Germany leads in 10 and Italy leads in 2.