They are just over 200 thousand, they represent 20% of individual artisan entrepreneurs and, in the last ten years, they have grown by 20%. Half come from only four countries of origin, 60% work in construction and almost half work in the Lombardy-Emilia Romagna-Tuscany triangle. This is the identikit of foreign entrepreneurs who carry out artisan activities that emerges from a study Unioncamere and InfoCamere on the evolution of individual enterprises in the sector over the last ten years with reference to the period 30 September 2014-30 September 2024.
Artisan businesses between Italian and foreign
Immigrant entrepreneurs who choose craftsmanship are increasingly numerous. In the decade 2014-25, businesses led by foreigners have recorded a good +33.847 in absolute numbers. An increase that is not enough to compensate for the reduction that has been ongoing for some time in the indigenous component of the sector. In the last ten years, in fact, the perimeter of individual artisan businesses with owners born in Italy has recorded a -14,6% corresponding to an absolute reduction of -133,242 units. Adding the two dynamics, the overall balance of the artisan sector therefore records a deficit of businesses equal to -99.395 over the decade.
Also in the period examined, the percentage of foreign owners in craft businesses increased from 15,5% to 20,5%, highlighting a transformation of the sector, where new skills and cultures integrate with Italian tradition, grappling with a difficult process of generational change.
Geography: Where they go, where they come from and where they operate
Regions like Campania, Calabria and Basilicata have recorded growth rates above 40%, while in Emilia Romagna and Lombardy foreign companies (25.993 and 45.256 units respectively) represent over 25% of the total, demonstrating that foreign entrepreneurship now represents a structural part of the local productive fabric.
From a sectoral perspective, in the construction, 29,1% of artisan businesses are now foreign-owned (117 thousand units as of 30 September 2024, +13%), while in business services, there is a 55% increase among companies with foreign owners, which now represent 27,8% of the total, exceeding the quota of 14 thousand units.
The analysis of foreign-owned crafts, developed on the basis of Movimprese, the statistical analysis of the Business Register of the Chambers of Commerce, also reveals an interesting evolution with regard to age and gender.. In particular, they are the Entrepreneurs over 50 to drive growth, with an increase of 125,7% in the last ten years, to which is added an even more marked increase (+223,5%) among the over 70s. The female presence is also growing strongly: in the decade, the Women/Men ratio rose overall from 17,1 to 20,1, with a significant increase in the North-West and North-East, where it grew by over 4 percentage points. This trend is indicative not only of greater female participation in the artisan sector but, probably, also of a process of integration and stabilization of foreign women in local economies, particularly in the most developed areas of the country.
The strongest presence of foreign artisans is recorded in strategic sectors such as construction, catering and transport, which are particularly dominated by entrepreneurs from specific countries. Companies in the construction sector, for example, see a strong presence of owners Romanians (27.914 units) e Albanians (26.515 units), while in the services sector, China and Egypt play a significant role, with a high concentration of activities in transportation, warehousing and catering.
