Italy's economy, in the world's data

Italy's economic growth stalled last year at 0.54 per cent, a figure that masks a deeper structural problem: the country's ability to expand is constrained not only by weak demand and high debt, but increasingly by climate disruption. The Guardian reported this week on Europe's accelerating wildfire crisis, noting that firefighters have coined a new term to describe the scale of the threat. In Italy, that threat is no longer theoretical. Over the weekend, hundreds of people were evacuated by sea from Puglia as wildfires swept the southern Adriatic coast, while similar blazes raged in the south-west. These are not isolated incidents but part of a pattern that foreign economists now factor into growth forecasts.

The timing compounds the damage. July and August account for a disproportionate share of Italy's annual tourism revenue and consumer spending. Foreign coverage has already noted a shift in European holiday patterns: some travellers are abandoning Mediterranean destinations for cooler northern climates, a trend that could hollow out the summer boost that normally supports annual GDP. Infrastructure disruption adds another layer. Rail maintenance at Florence's central station this week has split train services between north and south, a reminder that Italy's ageing transport network cannot easily absorb climate-driven emergencies on top of planned upgrades.