Health and Wellness
Italy is a strategic hub for the health and wellness industry, thanks to a unique combination of tradition, innovation, quality, and a focus on exports. The industry traces its roots to the pharmaceutical tradition of the Renaissance and underwent a major transformation beginning in the 1980s, with the emergence of manufacturing districts, startups, and leading companies.
Source: Bussolati, Malerba e Torrisi, L’evoluzione del sistema industriale italiano e l’alta tecnologia, 1995.
A healthy sector that innovates, grows, and targets new markets
At the end of 2025, there were 607 companies in the entire pharmaceutical production chain, identified by ATECO code 21, with a total of 75,969 employees, an increase of 9.5% over the last five years.
It is a relatively unevenly distributed sector, with 40% of the companies concentrated in Lombardy, followed by Lazio (12.9%), Tuscany, and Emilia-Romagna (both at 6.9%).
Italy's pharmaceutical industry in figures
Italy's pharmaceutical industry is highly export-oriented, with approximately 95% of its revenue generated from exports. In 2025, it reaffirmed its position as one of the leading drivers of Made in Italy on the global stage, recording exports of €69.2 billion, up 28.5% from 2024, compared with average growth of 3.2% for Italy's manufacturing sector over the same period.
Sources: Camera di Commercio delle Marche, Open Data Explorer - Demografia delle Imprese in Italia (Imprese attive, Quote, Divisione 21), 31/12/2025, - Farmindustria, Rapporto Indicatori Farmaceutici 2025, - Farmindustria, Comunicati e Dichiarazioni: Dichiarazione Marcello Cattani, Presidente Farmindustria, su dati export ISTAT.
Main subsectors
From pharmaceuticals to biotechnology, from dietary supplements to sporting goods, the Made in Italy health and wellness sector is divided into a rich variety of specializations, all united by a strong focus on exports.
Source: Quotidiano Sanità, Gli italiani e gli integratori. Oltre 200 milioni di confezioni vendute nel 2024. Fermenti lattici e vitamina C fra i più gettonati. Un mercato da 4 miliardi di euro
1.3
€ BILLION
Biotechnology
Sports equipment
Pharmaceuticals
Excellence and innovation
The high propensity for innovation is one of the distinctive features of the sector, which continues to allocate significant resources to research and development.
The growth in patent applications, which increased by 33% in the period 2020–2025, also points in this direction, testifying to the ability to generate proprietary technologies and advanced solutions, also supported by public-private partnerships and research hubs.
Sources: Farmindustria, dati presentati all’assemblea nazionale Farmindustria citati da Ansa, Record farmaceutica italiana, 56 miliardi produzione e 54 di export.
The most strategic areas include:
Research and development
Additive manufacturing
IoT and 3D printing
Artificial Intelligence
Regional impact
The development of Italian industrial sectors linked to the world of health and wellness is closely connected to certain regions that have developed distinctive skills and specializations over time.
One example is the pharmaceutical sector, which has a significant share of its companies concentrated in five regions. Lombardy leads the way, followed by Lazio, Tuscany, Emilia-Romagna, and Veneto.
Numerous Italian districts also bring together companies active in the health and wellness sector. Below, we focus on the top five in terms of exports, offering an overview of the market dynamics that characterized 2025.
Sources: Intesa Sanpaolo, Monitor dei Distretti – Toscana, gennaio 2026, - Lazio, - Lombardia, - Emilia Romagna.
Lazio
Pharma Valley
Tuscany
Pharmaceutical hub
Lombardy
Pharmaceutical and biomedical hub (Milan)
Mirandola (Modena)
Biomedical district
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