The S&P Global Italy Services PMI slipped to 48.8 in March 2026 from 51.0 in the previous month, defying market expectations of 52.3. This marked a return to contraction territory for the first time since November 2024, as output declined due to fewer events following the Winter Olympics, generally soft demand conditions, and rising international uncertainty. Similarly, new business contracted for the first time in over a year, with the pace of decline the sharpest since November 2024. Meanwhile, employment levels were broadly unchanged from February, as limited hiring was offset by job cuts elsewhere. On the price front, input costs surged to a more than three-year high, reflecting higher wage pressures and increased costs for raw materials, energy, and fuel, largely linked to the ongoing Middle East conflict. Finally, business confidence fell to a seven-month low, as service providers pointed to a challenging economic outlook and heightened uncertainty tied to geopolitical tensions. source: S&P Global

Services PMI in Italy decreased to 48.80 points in March from 52.30 points in February of 2026. Services PMI in Italy averaged 50.23 points from 2011 until 2026, reaching an all time high of 58.00 points in July of 2021 and a record low of 10.80 points in April of 2020. This page provides the latest reported value for - Italy Services PMI - plus previous releases, historical high and low, short-term forecast and long-term prediction, economic calendar, survey consensus and news.

Services PMI in Italy decreased to 48.80 points in March from 52.30 points in February of 2026. Services PMI in Italy is expected to be 52.50 points by the end of this quarter, according to Trading Economics global macro models and analysts expectations. In the long-term, the Italy Services PMI is projected to trend around 52.50 points in 2027 and 53.20 points in 2028, according to our econometric models.



Related Last Previous Unit Reference
Business Confidence 88.80 88.50 points Mar 2026
Capacity Utilization 74.70 75.00 percent Mar 2026
Car Registrations 185367.00 157334.00 Units Mar 2026
Changes in Inventories 5003.00 1180.10 EUR Million Dec 2025
Composite Leading Indicator 100.90 100.97 points Mar 2026
Corruption Index 53.00 54.00 Points Dec 2025
Corruption Rank 52.00 52.00 Dec 2025
Electricity Price 110.85 72.41 EUR/MWh Apr 2026
Electricity Production 21476.00 25259.00 Gigawatt-hour Feb 2026
Industrial Production YoY 0.50 -0.60 percent Feb 2026
Industrial Production MoM 0.10 -0.60 percent Feb 2026
Manufacturing Production 0.95 -2.16 percent Feb 2026
Industrial Sales YoY -0.30 0.60 percent Jan 2026
Mining Production 0.84 -3.35 percent Feb 2026
Natural Gas Stocks Capacity 203.84 203.84 TWh Apr 2026
Natural Gas Stocks Injection 729.01 660.55 GWh/d Apr 2026
Natural Gas Stocks Inventory 93.64 92.93 TWh Apr 2026
Natural Gas Stocks Withdrawal 0.00 0.00 GWh/d Apr 2026
New Car Registrations YoY 7.60 14.00 percent Mar 2026


Italy Services PMI
S&P Global Italy Services PMI (Purchasing Managers' Index) is based on data collected from a representative panel of around 400 companies based in the Italian service sector. The index tracks variables such as sales, employment, inventories and prices. A reading above 50 indicates that the services sector is generally expanding; below 50 indicates that it is generally declining. This is only a limited sample of PMI headline data displayed on the Customer’s service, under licence from S&P Global. Full historic PMI headline data and all other PMI sub-index data and histories are available on subscription from S&P Global. Contact economics@spglobal.com for more details.

News Stream
Italy Services Sector Contracts for First Time Since 2024
The S&P Global Italy Services PMI slipped to 48.8 in March 2026 from 51.0 in the previous month, defying market expectations of 52.3. This marked a return to contraction territory for the first time since November 2024, as output declined due to fewer events following the Winter Olympics, generally soft demand conditions, and rising international uncertainty. Similarly, new business contracted for the first time in over a year, with the pace of decline the sharpest since November 2024. Meanwhile, employment levels were broadly unchanged from February, as limited hiring was offset by job cuts elsewhere. On the price front, input costs surged to a more than three-year high, reflecting higher wage pressures and increased costs for raw materials, energy, and fuel, largely linked to the ongoing Middle East conflict. Finally, business confidence fell to a seven-month low, as service providers pointed to a challenging economic outlook and heightened uncertainty tied to geopolitical tensions.
2026-04-07
Italy Services Activity Growth Weakens
The HCOB Italy Services PMI fell to 52.3 in February 2026 from 52.9 in the previous month, though still marginally above market expectations of 52. New business growth eased compared with the previous month, despite being supported by a renewed increase in export sales. Meanwhile, employment continued to increase amid new business and diminished signs of spare capacity, with hiring activity hitting a seven-month high. On the price front, input cost inflation reached a three-month peak, driven by higher wages and rising transport, energy, fuel, and business services costs. Output prices edged up to a seven-month high, continuing an upward trend that has persisted for almost four and a half years. Looking ahead, service providers expressed more positive expectations for activity over the next year, citing anticipated new business, including wins from new clients. While the level of optimism aligns broadly with the 2025 average, it remains notably below the historical trend.
2026-03-04
Italy Services Activity Picks Up in January
The HCOB Italy Services PMI rose to 52.9 in January 2026 from a fourth-month low of 51.5 in the previous month, beating market forecasts of 51.4. The pickup in activity lifted the headline index back above its historical trend and extended the current growth sequence to fourteen months. Output increased despite slower growth in new orders amid a sharper decline in export sales. Additionally, employment continued to rise, with firms hiring across a wide range of roles, though the pace of job creation was marginal. Backlogs of work fell slightly again, suggesting that capacity is broadly aligned with current workloads. Regarding prices, input cost inflation eased to a three-month low, even as staffing and energy expenses rose further. However, output charge inflation accelerated to a six-month high. Lastly, business expectations weakened for a second consecutive month, reaching a five-month low amid concerns over competitive pressures and subdued economic prospects.
2026-02-04