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The Finance Base
2026 growth forecast

Italy’s 2026 Growth Forecast Rises to 1% as Defense Plans Are Scaled Back

Italy’s October 2026 budget update raised the government’s growth forecast to 1% and scaled back planned defense-related borrowing, while projecting public debt above 138% of GDP.

By TheFinanceBase Team 3 min read

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Italy’s government raised its 2026 growth forecast to 1% from an initial 0.6% estimate, while scaling back planned defense-related borrowing. The October 2, 2026 update came with new projections for growth, debt and the deficit in the government’s Public Finance Planning Document (DPFP); it is a forecast revision, not evidence that Italy has entered a high-growth phase.

What changed in Italy’s 2026 growth forecast?

After cabinet approval of the DPFP on October 2, Economy Minister Giancarlo Giorgetti said the government had revised its 2026 real GDP growth forecast to 1%, up from an initial, conservative estimate of 0.6%. ANSA reported the figures and attributed the update to Giorgetti. The government also projected growth of 0.8% in 2027, 0.9% in 2028 and 0.8% in 2029. These are government projections, not reported outcomes. ANSA’s account of cabinet approval

The revision followed better-than-expected performance in the first half of 2026, according to an advance report carried by Investing.com from Reuters. That report said the government was expected to raise its forecast to close to 1% from 0.6%; ANSA’s post-approval account then reported the 1% figure. Reuters also reported that growth was expected to slow in 2027 and remain broadly around the then-current 0.6% forecast. Investing.com/Reuters, October 2, 2026

Why were defense plans scaled back?

The fiscal plan left room for energy and security measures under the EU mechanism discussed in the reports, while reducing the defense component of additional borrowing. This is not the same as a blanket cut to every part of Italy’s defense budget: the reported change concerns the planned additional fiscal effort.

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What the advance report said

The Reuters-based advance report said the defense share of extra spending was being reduced to 0.6% of GDP from an earlier 0.9% plan. Because this was reported ahead of cabinet approval and attributed to unnamed sources, it should be read as an advance account of the expected plan, not as a direct quotation from the final DPFP. Investing.com/Reuters, October 2, 2026

What ANSA reported after approval

ANSA described a 0.3%-of-GDP deviation for security in 2027, alongside a separate 0.3%-of-GDP deviation for energy, with similar amounts in 2028. Those figures are not interchangeable with the advance report’s 0.6%-versus-0.9% description: they refer to different formulations of the plan. Giorgetti said, “Compared to our intentions a few weeks ago, we have decided to scale back the effort regarding defense.” ANSA’s account of Giorgetti’s press conference

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How do the new projections compare with earlier forecasts?

The European Commission’s Spring 2026 forecast is an earlier forecast vintage, not a same-date alternative to the October government projections. It projected slower growth and higher public debt for 2026 and 2027. Comparing the two gives context for the update, but the numbers reflect different publishers and forecast dates.

Measure Italian government, October 2026 European Commission, Spring 2026
Real GDP growth, 2026 1% (ANSA report after DPFP approval) 0.5% (Spring 2026 forecast)
Real GDP growth, 2027 0.8% (ANSA report after DPFP approval) 0.6% (Spring 2026 forecast)
Public debt, 2026 138.1% of GDP (ANSA report after DPFP approval) 138.5% of GDP (Spring 2026 forecast)
Public debt, 2027 138.6% of GDP (ANSA report after DPFP approval) 139.2% of GDP (Spring 2026 forecast)

Sources: ANSA and the European Commission’s Italy economic forecast. The Commission’s May forecast page said 2026 growth was expected to be 0.5% and noted temporary inflation pressure driven by energy prices; its Spring forecast projected 3.2% inflation in 2026. European Commission, Spring 2026 Economic Forecast

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What is known about the deficit—and what remains unclear?

ANSA’s report on DPFP approval gives a 2027 deficit projection of 3.4% of GDP and says the 2026 deficit will be below 3%. A separate ANSA article gives 3.5% in its headline and opening, but later quotes Giorgetti stating 3.4%. The contemporaneous accounts therefore conflict on the 2027 figure; it is safest to report the discrepancy rather than present either number as settled without checking the primary DPFP. ANSA’s cabinet-approval report and ANSA’s separate report

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What the forecast revision means for readers

A higher growth forecast can improve the projected path for public finances, but the 1% figure remains a government estimate rather than a guarantee. The October plan pairs that upgrade with a debt projection that still puts public debt at 138.1% of GDP in 2026 and 138.6% in 2027. The reported energy and security allocations describe specific fiscal room for those measures; they do not establish a general reduction in defense spending across all categories.

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