Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
Italy fits inside the United States 33 times
Italy: 302,070 km² (2024) · United States: 9,831,510 km² (2024)
How much coast is there?
The United States’ coastline is 2.6 times as long as Italy’s
Italy: 7,600 km (2026 edition) · United States: 19,924 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
The United States’ highest peak towers 1,442 m above Italy’s
Italy: 4,748 m (2026 edition) · United States: 6,190 m (2026 edition)
How much of the land is farmed?
Farmland covers 46% of the United States, versus 44% of Italy
Italy: 43.6% (2024) · United States: 46.1% (2024)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
The United States has 5.8 times as many people as Italy
Italy: 58.9 million (2025) · United States: 342 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
Italy is 5.3 times as densely populated as the United States
Italy: 199 per km² (2025) · United States: 37 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in the United States are 2.5 cm taller than in Italy
Italy: 174.4 cm (2019) · United States: 176.9 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in the United States are 1.5 cm taller than in Italy
Italy: 161.8 cm (2019) · United States: 163.3 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in Italy is 9.4 years older than in the United States
Italy: 47.5 years (2023) · United States: 38 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in the United States have 0.4 more children on average than in Italy
Italy: 1.18 children per woman (2024) · United States: 1.63 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
25% of people in Italy are 65 or older, versus 18% in the United States
Italy: 25.1% (2025) · United States: 18.4% (2025)
How many refugees does it host?
Italy hosts 2.4 times as many refugees per resident as the United States
Italy: 3.3 per 1,000 (2025) · United States: 1.3 per 1,000 (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
The United States has produced 8.7 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, Italy 3.4
Italy: 3.4 (2026) · United States: 8.7 (2026)
How many official languages?
Italy and the United States are practically level
Italy: 1 (2026) · United States: 1 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
The United States’ economy is 12 times the size of Italy’s
Italy: $2.55 trillion (2025) · United States: $30.8 trillion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
The United States produces 43% more per person than Italy
Italy: Int$62,803 (2025) · United States: Int$90,027 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in the United States than in Italy (Gini 7.5 points higher)
Italy: 34.3 (2023) · United States: 41.8 (2024)
How many live on less than $3 a day?
The United States and Italy are practically level
Italy: 0.9% (2023) · United States: 1.1% (2024)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 6.4% in Italy, versus 4.2% in the United States
Italy: 6.4% (2025) · United States: 4.2% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
The United States spends 3.1% of its GDP on the military, Italy 1.9%
Italy: 1.9% (2025) · United States: 3.1% (2025)
How much does the central government collect in tax?
Italy’s central government collects 26% of GDP in tax, the United States’ 11%
Italy: 25.6% (2024) · United States: 10.8% (2024)
How expensive is it?
The United States’ price level (US = 100) is 1.5× Italy’s
Italy: 69% (2025) · United States: 100% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
The United States spends 4 times as much on health per person as Italy
Italy: $3,398 (2024) · United States: $13,473 (2023)
How long do people live?
People in Italy live 5.1 years longer than in the United States
Italy: 84 years (2024) · United States: 78.9 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in the United States is 2.4 times as likely to die before turning one as in Italy
Italy: 2.3 per 1,000 (2024) · United States: 5.5 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
Italy has 14% more doctors per person than the United States
Italy: 4.2 per 1,000 (2022) · United States: 3.7 per 1,000 (2022)
How many hospital beds are there?
Italy has 14% more hospital beds per person than the United States
Italy: 3.1 per 1,000 (2022) · United States: 2.7 per 1,000 (2022)
How common is suicide?
The suicide rate in the United States is 2.3 times that in Italy
Italy: 5.7 per 100k (2023) · United States: 13.3 per 100k (2023)
How common is obesity?
42% of adults in the United States are obese, versus 18% in Italy
Italy: 17.9% (2024) · United States: 41.8% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
22% of adults in Italy smoke, versus 16% in the United States
Italy: 22.4% (2024) · United States: 15.8% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in the United States rate their lives 0.24 points higher than in Italy
Italy: 6.57 (2025) · United States: 6.82 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in the United States drink 13% more alcohol than in Italy
Italy: 8.4 litres (2023) · United States: 9.6 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
The United States has 71% more meat per person than Italy
Italy: 71.2 kg (2023) · United States: 122.1 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
The United States has 195 kcal more food per person per day than Italy
Italy: 3,753 kcal (2023) · United States: 3,947 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in the United States put in 87 more hours a year than in Italy
Italy: 1,701 hours (2023) · United States: 1,789 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in the United States went to school 3.1 years longer than in Italy
Italy: 10.8 years (2023) · United States: 13.9 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
Italy welcomed 4.6 times as many tourists per resident as the United States (2019)
Italy: 0.98 (2024) · United States: 0.21 (2024)
How many World Heritage sites?
Italy has 35 more World Heritage sites than the United States (62 against 27)
Italy: 62 (2026) · United States: 27 (2026)
How many Olympic medals has it won?
The United States has won 3,137 Olympic medals, Italy 829
Italy: 829 (2026 edition) · United States: 3,137 (2026 edition)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
95% of people in the United States are online, versus 89% in Italy
Italy: 89% (2024) · United States: 95% (2024)
How fast is home internet?
Home internet in the United States is 47% faster than in Italy
Italy: 274 Mbps (2026) · United States: 401 Mbps (2026)
Who has electricity at home?
Italy and the United States are practically level
Italy: 100% (2024) · United States: 100% (2024)
How many live in cities?
80% of people in the United States live in cities, versus 70% in Italy
Italy: 70% (2025) · United States: 80% (2025)
How many phones per person?
Italy has 133 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, the United States 113
Italy: 133 (2024) · United States: 113 (2024)
How much railway is there?
The United States’ railway network is 8.6 times as long as Italy’s
Italy: 17,305 km (2021) · United States: 148,553 km (2021)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from the United States fly 8 times as many passengers per resident as those from Italy
Italy: 0.34 (2023) · United States: 2.75 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 34% of the United States, but only 32% of Italy
Italy: 31.8% (2024) · United States: 33.8% (2024)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in the United States emits 2.8 times as much CO₂ as someone in Italy
Italy: 5.1 t (2024) · United States: 14.2 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
49% of Italy’s electricity is renewable, versus 26% in the United States
Italy: 48.8% (2025) · United States: 25.6% (2025)
How clean is the air?
The air in Italy carries 2 times as much fine dust as in the United States
Italy: 15.2 µg/m³ (2024) · United States: 7.5 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
You are 10 times as likely to be murdered in the United States as in Italy
Italy: 0.6 per 100k (2023) · United States: 5.8 per 100k (2023)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in the United States are 3.1 times as deadly as in Italy
Italy: 8.5 per 100k (2023) · United States: 26.3 per 100k (2023)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
Italy is on average 3.6 °C warmer than the United States
Italy: 13.9°C (2016–2025 avg) · United States: 10.3°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
Italy gets 21% more rain than the United States
Italy: 1,030 mm (2016–2025 avg) · United States: 849 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Between them
People, goods and passports that cross from one to the other
Quick answers
Is Italy bigger than the United States?
The United States is larger. Italy fits inside the United States 33 times.
Which has more people, Italy or the United States?
The United States has 5.8 times as many people as Italy (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, Italy or the United States?
People in Italy live 5.1 years longer than in the United States. Life expectancy at birth is 84.0 years in Italy and 78.9 in the United States.
Are people taller in Italy or the United States?
Men in the United States are 2.5 cm taller than in Italy (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
