In the first six months of 2026, Italian exports grew by 4.5% compared to the same period in 2025. Driving the increase are above all some regions of Italy, which are rapidly increasing their sales across the border, while others are recording a contraction.
However, to understand which territories are driving Made in Italy, it is necessary to look at both the percentage increase and the overall value of exports. A region can record very high growth in percentage terms without being among those that sell the largest quantities of goods abroad in absolute value.
The data on Italian exports, where it increased the most
According to Istat data published on 11 September 2026, in the first quarter of 2026 Italian exports grew by 4.5% and territorially recorded increases equal to:
- +11.9% in the Center;
- +8.8% in the Islands;
- +4.3% in the North-West;
- 3.8% in the South;
- +1.9% in the North-East.
However, the dynamic changed in the second quarter, when Made in Italy exports grew in almost the entire national territory, with the exception of the Centre, which recorded a cyclical decline of 1.6%. The most marked growth compared to the previous quarter, however:
- in the South and the Islands, where exports increased by 6.5%;
- followed by the North-East, with an increase of 3.1%;
- while the North-West grows by 2.9%.
The Northern regions once again remain the main industrial protagonists of national exports thanks to the presence of a vast network of manufacturing companies and production chains strongly integrated into international markets, even if some territories in the South are showing a growing ability to intercept foreign demand.
The ranking of the regions that are growing the most
Looking at the first six months of 2026, the regions recording the greatest percentage increase in exports are:
- Basilicata, with growth of 29.5% compared to the first half of 2025;
- Tuscany, which increased its exports by 23.8%;
- Puglia, with an increase of 15.2%;
- Sardinia, which completes the group with an increase of 11.6%.
| Region | Export increase in percentage |
| Basilicata | +29.5% |
| Tuscany | +23.8% |
| Puglia | +15.2% |
| Sardinia | +11.6% |
Regions in decline
Not all regions participate in the growth of national exports. Continuing to take the first six months of 2026 as a reference, Istat recorded the most significant contraction in:
- Friuli Venezia Giulia, with a decrease in exports of 9.6%;
- Lazio, with a drop of 6.8%;
- Valle d’Aosta, with a decrease of 5.7%;
- Campania, down by 4.6%.
Where and what Italy exports abroad
As per the report:
- the sector of base metals and metal products (excluding machinery and systems) coming in particular from Tuscany, alone represents 2.4 percentage points of the overall trend growth of Italian exports;
- means of transport (excluding motor vehicles) pushed with a further positive contribution of 1.2 percentage points deriving from greater sales from Veneto and Marche;
- pharmaceutical, chemical-medicinal and botanical articles ensured a joint contribution of 1.2 percentage points, driven by Tuscany and Lombardy.
Among the slowing factors at national level, with a negative contribution of 1.6 percentage points to the change in exports, we highlight the reductions in sales of:
- sporting goods, games, musical instruments, jewelery and medical instruments (from Tuscany);
- pharmaceutical and chemical-medicinal products (from Campania and Lazio);
- means of transport excluding cars (from Friuli-Venezia Giulia and Lazio).
The increase in sales, however:
- in Tuscany it recorded the greatest positive contributions to the trend growth in Switzerland (+434.1%), China (+136.4%) and the United States (+13.7%). On the other hand, large drops were recorded towards Turkey (-61.6%) and Spain (-31.4%);
- in Veneto it is driven in particular by the growth in exports to the United States (+31.0%);
- in Lombardy by trade flows towards Switzerland (+17.0%) and the Netherlands (+23.8%).
On the opposite side, the largest negative contributions come from the drop in sales from Friuli-Venezia Giulia to the United States (-67.2%) and from Campania to Switzerland (-31.3%).
