Italy Services Sector Expands Most in Over 3 Years

2026-09-03 07:53 By Kyrie Dichosa 1 min. read

The S&P Global Italy Services PMI rose to 55.2 in August 2026 from 52.5 in July, beating market expectations of 53.6.

This marked the strongest expansion since April 2023, supported by the fastest increase in new business in almost two-and-a-half years, reflecting stronger domestic demand, new client acquisitions, and new project starts.

Export sales also increased, reaching their fastest pace since October, though the overall improvement in demand remained domestically focused.

Employment continued to rise, while outstanding business declined for a fifth month.

On the price front, input cost inflation remained elevated, driven by higher energy, fuel, commodity and business service costs, while output price inflation eased to its lowest in eight months.

Meanwhile, business confidence weakened to its lowest since May amid concerns over the external environment, despite firms citing new customer wins and planned investment as reasons for optimism into next year.



News Stream
Italy Services Sector Expands Most in Over 3 Years
The S&P Global Italy Services PMI rose to 55.2 in August 2026 from 52.5 in July, beating market expectations of 53.6. This marked the strongest expansion since April 2023, supported by the fastest increase in new business in almost two-and-a-half years, reflecting stronger domestic demand, new client acquisitions, and new project starts. Export sales also increased, reaching their fastest pace since October, though the overall improvement in demand remained domestically focused. Employment continued to rise, while outstanding business declined for a fifth month. On the price front, input cost inflation remained elevated, driven by higher energy, fuel, commodity and business service costs, while output price inflation eased to its lowest in eight months. Meanwhile, business confidence weakened to its lowest since May amid concerns over the external environment, despite firms citing new customer wins and planned investment as reasons for optimism into next year.
2026-09-03
Italian Services Output Growth Hits Six-Month High
The S&P Global Italy Services PMI rose to 52.5 in July 2026 from 50.2 in June, comfortably beating market expectations of 51.3 and signaling the strongest expansion in business activity since January. Growth was supported by the fastest increase in new orders this year, driven by stronger demand, new service offerings, successful client acquisition, and advertising efforts. Employment growth accelerated to a 13-month high and was among the strongest seen in more than two years, while the decline in outstanding business eased, pointing to improving capacity conditions. On the price front, input cost inflation remained elevated but slowed to its weakest pace since February, whereas output price inflation picked up. Meanwhile, business confidence softened slightly but continued to signal a positive outlook.
2026-08-05
Italy Services Sector Back in Expansion
The S&P Global Italy Services PMI rose to 50.2 in June 2026, returning to expansion territory after a contraction of 49.4 in the previous month, although it fell short of market expectations of 50.5. It also marked the first reading above the 50 threshold since February, as business activity recorded a renewed increase, supported by new customer acquisitions, tender wins, and generally stronger demand. However, conflict-related disruptions and resulting economic uncertainty were cited as key factors limiting growth. Meanwhile, employment across service providers was broadly unchanged in June, though the current sequence of job creation extended to seventeen consecutive months. On the price front, input cost inflation eased for the first time since the start of the year, while output charges also moderated. Lastly, business expectations continued to improve, lifting confidence among Italian services companies to its highest level since November 2025.
2026-07-03