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E-commerce facts & figures in in Italy

Mobile commerce and online shopper behaviour in Italy

Read below more about ecommerce growth, Ecommerce sales and cross-border ecommerce in Italy


General overview and facts and figures

This overview was first published in ‘eCommerce Insights and Trends Snapshot: Italy’, an eBook produced in association with our partner ACI Worldwideand based on data from ACI Worldwide. Download your free copy of the eBook below to gain access to a comprehensive analysis of the insights that matter most when measuring the size and type of opportunities in the ecommerce market in Italy.

In Italy, 49.6% of the population shopped online in 2021 (compared to 37.7% in 2019), with the number of ecommerce users expected to hit the 70% figure in three or four years. Moreover, the Italian ecommerce sector grew  from a share of 5.9% in 2019 (approximately EUR 19 billion) to 9.2% in 2021 (approximately EUR 28 billion). So, despite a slow increase in internet penetration, recent global events such as the COVID-19 pandemic, together with a rise in smartphone use, determined Italian consumers to shop online in unprecedented numbers. These also led to the adoption of modern ecommerce solutions, such as same-day delivery, to meet consumers’ expectations.

Total population 

59.4 million

Age breakdown 

  • 0-14: 2015 – 13.8%, 2025 – 12.0% 

  • 15-64: 2015 – 64.5%, 2025 – 63.3% 

  • 65 and above: 2015 – 21.7%, 2025 – 24.7% 

Internet penetration (internet users % of total population) 

84.7 

Internet banking penetration (% aged 16+) 

41.0 

Banked population (% aged 15+) 

96.5 

Mobile penetration (per 100 persons) 

135.9 

Smartphone penetration by age group 

  • 16-24: 92% 

  • 24-34: 89% 

  • 35-44: 87% 

  • 45-54: 82% 

  • 55-64: 72% 

  • 65-74: 44% 

  • 75+: 13%

Ecommerce value 

2021: EUR 77 billion 

  • -1% decrease in the volume of ecommerce transactions, 2021 vs 2020

  • 25% increase in average ticket value (ATV) 

  • 52% ecommerce penetration

Cross-border ecommerce opportunities 

Italy’s most popular international markets for cross-border ecommerce are:

  • China: 38% of cross-border purchases 

  • Germany: 17% of cross-border purchases 

  • the UK: 16% of cross-border purchases