The number of businesses in Italy run by migrants rose by 42.7% between 2011 and 2022 to a total of 647,797, according to the report 'Immigration and Entrepreneurship in Italy and Europe' produced by Idos and Cna and released on Tuesday.
The number of businesses run by Italians fell by 5% over this period, the report added.
At the end of 2022 migrant-run businesses represented 10.8% of the total, up from 2011 in 2011.
Some 77.3% of migrant-run businesses are located in the center and north, with the greatest numbers in absolute terms based in Lazio and Lombardy.
The vast majority (74.1%) of migrant-run businesses are one-person companies, although the report also noted an increase in capital companies over the years.
These now represent 18.4% of the total.
Some 59% of migrant-run businesses operate in the services sector, with retail accounting for 31.8% of service activitiesand construction for 23.9%.
Some 82% of migrant business owners are of non-EU origin, with a marked predominance of Moroccans (63,000) and Chinese (52,000).
The report said migrant women are "a significant and growing component of entrepreneurship, representing 24.6% of the total".
They mainly operate in the service sector.
Lastly, 75.8% of migrant entrepreneurs are under 50 years of age.
"Our work clearly shows the considerable advantage forItaly in promoting and making the system of migrant businessesin the country as solid as possible, insofar as they constitute a 'physiological' bridge-network between the Italian economy andmarket and the countries and regions of origin of migrantentrepreneurs, " said Idos president Luca Di Sciullo.
The system of migrant-run businesses in Italy has shown "goodresilience even in periods of global crisis" and would "givestrategic international scope to a domestic system that is still extremely closed, provincial and weak", he added.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © Copyright ANSA