The Bank of Italy published its second survey of financial literacy and digitalization among Italian micro-enterprises, based on 5,000 owners of firms with up to nine employees. The average financial literacy score was 74 out of 100, a 2% improvement from comparable questions in the 2021 survey, driven by better financial behavior and attitudes. Basic knowledge remains uneven, with 15% of respondents in the lowest category and 45% in the highest. Scores were higher among firms with greater turnover and exporters, while no gender gap emerged. Greater financial knowledge was associated with better financial behavior and a higher propensity to adopt digital technologies. Cloud computing was used extensively or to a limited extent by 44% of firms, compared with 5% for artificial intelligence, 6% for robotics and 4% for process interconnectivity. Another 19% were experimenting with or planned to adopt artificial intelligence within a year, while 13% reported the same for process interconnectivity and 12% for robotics and cloud solutions. Climate risk mitigation was also linked to financial literacy, particularly its behavioral dimension. Overall, 39% of micro-enterprises had adopted at least one measure, including climate-related insurance coverage at 28%, investments in safety and resilience at 26%, and relocation of business activities at 14%. In 2025, 6.4% reported damage from extreme weather events.
2026-09-08Bank of Italy
Bank of Italy survey shows micro-enterprise financial literacy at 74 out of 100 and limited advanced technology adoption
The Bank of Italy found that financial literacy among Italian micro-enterprise owners averaged 74 out of 100, up 2% from comparable 2021 results, though gaps in basic financial knowledge persisted. Advanced technology adoption remained limited beyond cloud computing, and stronger financial knowledge was associated with greater digital uptake. Thirty-nine percent of firms had adopted at least one climate risk mitigation measure.