World median is the middle country on each statistic: half of all countries with data are above it, half below. It is not an average, so it is never pulled up or down by giants or microstates.
Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
The median country fits inside Italy 2.7 times.
Italy: 302,070 km² (2023) · World median: 111,370 km² (2023)
How much coast is there?
Italy’s coastline is 17 times as long as the median country’s.
Italy: 7,600 km (2026 edition) · World median: 440 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
Italy’s highest peak towers 2,413 m above the median country’s.
Italy: 4,748 m (2026 edition) · World median: 2,335 m (2026 edition)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
Italy has 8 times as many people as the median country.
Italy: 58.9 million (2025) · World median: 7.4 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
Italy is 2 times as densely populated as the median country.
Italy: 199 per km² (2025) · World median: 98 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in Italy are 0.9 cm taller than in the median country.
Italy: 174.4 cm (2019) · World median: 173.5 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in Italy are 1.3 cm taller than in the median country.
Italy: 161.8 cm (2019) · World median: 160.6 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in Italy is 16 years older than in the median country.
Italy: 47.5 years (2023) · World median: 31.1 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in the median country have 0.7 more children on average than in Italy.
Italy: 1.18 children per woman (2024) · World median: 1.9 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
25% of people in Italy are 65 or older, versus 8.6% in the median country.
Italy: 25.1% (2025) · World median: 8.6% (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
Italy has produced 3.4 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, the median country 0.0.
Italy: 3.4 (2025) · World median: 0 (2025)
How many official languages?
Italy and the median country are practically level.
Italy: 1 (2026) · World median: 1 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
Italy’s economy is 56 times the size of the median country’s.
Italy: $2.55 trillion (2025) · World median: $45.5 billion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
Italy produces 3 times as much per person as the median country.
Italy: Int$62,803 (2025) · World median: Int$21,072 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
The median country and Italy are practically level.
Italy: 34.3 (2023) · World median: 34.4 (2023)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 6.4% in Italy, versus 5.1% in the median country.
Italy: 6.4% (2025) · World median: 5.1% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
The median country and Italy are practically level.
Italy: 1.6% (2024) · World median: 1.7% (2024)
How expensive is it?
Italy’s price level (US = 100) is 1.5× the median country’s.
Italy: 69% (2025) · World median: 45% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
Italy spends 7.2 times as much on health per person as the median country.
Italy: $3,398 (2024) · World median: $470 (2023)
How long do people live?
People in Italy live 9.3 years longer than in the median country.
Italy: 84 years (2024) · World median: 74.6 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in the median country is 5.5 times as likely to die before turning one as in Italy.
Italy: 2.3 per 1,000 (2024) · World median: 12.7 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
Italy has 2.5 times as many doctors per person as the median country.
Italy: 4.2 per 1,000 (2022) · World median: 1.7 per 1,000 (2022)
How common is obesity?
24% of adults in the median country are obese, versus 18% in Italy.
Italy: 17.9% (2024) · World median: 24% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
22% of adults in Italy smoke, versus 19% in the median country.
Italy: 22.4% (2024) · World median: 19% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in Italy rate their lives 0.74 points higher than in the median country.
Italy: 6.57 (2025) · World median: 5.83 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in Italy drink 94% more alcohol than in the median country.
Italy: 8.4 litres (2023) · World median: 4.3 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
Italy has 27% more meat per person than the median country.
Italy: 71.2 kg (2023) · World median: 56.2 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
Italy has 815 kcal more food per person per day than the median country.
Italy: 3,753 kcal (2023) · World median: 2,938 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in the median country put in 273 more hours a year than in Italy.
Italy: 1,701 hours (2023) · World median: 1,974 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in Italy went to school 0.9 years longer than in the median country.
Italy: 10.8 years (2023) · World median: 9.9 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
Italy welcomed 2.8 times as many tourists per resident as the median country (2019).
Italy: 0.98 (2024) · World median: 0.34 (2024)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
89% of people in Italy are online, versus 82% in the median country.
Italy: 89% (2024) · World median: 82% (2024)
Who has electricity at home?
Italy and the median country are practically level.
Italy: 100% (2024) · World median: 100% (2024)
How many live in cities?
70% of people in Italy live in cities, versus 64% in the median country.
Italy: 70% (2025) · World median: 64% (2025)
How many phones per person?
Italy has 133 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, the median country 115.
Italy: 133 (2024) · World median: 115 (2024)
How much railway is there?
Italy’s railway network is 8.1 times as long as the median country’s.
Italy: 17,305 km (2021) · World median: 2,141 km (2021)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from Italy fly 44% more passengers per resident than those from the median country.
Italy: 0.34 (2023) · World median: 0.24 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 33% of Italy, but only 31% of the median country.
Italy: 32.9% (2023) · World median: 31.2% (2023)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in Italy emits 70% more CO₂ than someone in the median country.
Italy: 5.1 t (2024) · World median: 3 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
49% of Italy’s electricity is renewable, versus 31% in the median country.
Italy: 48.8% (2025) · World median: 30.8% (2024)
How clean is the air?
The air in the median country carries 9% more fine dust than in Italy.
Italy: 15.2 µg/m³ (2024) · World median: 16.6 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
You are 4 times as likely to be murdered in the median country as in Italy.
Italy: 0.6 per 100k (2023) · World median: 2.3 per 100k (2023)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in the median country are 2.5 times as deadly as in Italy.
Italy: 5 per 100k (2021) · World median: 12.3 per 100k (2021)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
The median country is on average 9.1 °C warmer than Italy.
Italy: 13.9°C (2016–2025 avg) · World median: 23°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
Italy gets 2% more rain than the median country.
Italy: 1,030 mm (2016–2025 avg) · World median: 1,014 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Quick answers
Is Italy bigger than the median country?
Italy is larger. The median country fits inside Italy 2.7 times.
Which has more people, Italy or the median country?
Italy has 8 times as many people as the median country (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, Italy or the median country?
People in Italy live 9.3 years longer than in the median country. Life expectancy at birth is 84.0 years in Italy and 74.6 in the median country.
Are people taller in Italy or the median country?
Men in Italy are 0.9 cm taller than in the median country (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
