Movimprese: good for real estate and catering. Agriculture and manufacturing slow down

Good news, but not for everyone, from Movimprese, the statistical analysis conducted by Unioncamere and InfoCamere based on the Business Register of the Chambers of Commerce.

The second quarter of 2026 confirms the resilience of the Italian business system.

Between April and June, the balance between new openings and closures was positive by 32.709 units, the result of 83.169 registrations and 50.460 closures (net of official cancellations).

The growth rate remains at 0,56%, the same as that recorded in the same period of 2025, bringing the total number of registered companies to 5.823.863.

During the quarter, craft businesses recorded 21.542 registrations and 16.341 closures, with a net balance of 5.201 units and a growth rate of 0,43%, bringing the total stock to 1.226.925 businesses.

A two-speed Italy: services and construction expand, manufacturing stagnates

Overall, the second quarter confirms a business system that remains on a path of steady expansion, but with a growth supported above all by services and construction sectors, while traditional sectors continue to slow down.

On the one hand, more structured companies, professional-intensive services, personal services and, as mentioned, construction are growing; on the other, despite maintaining a positive balance, some show signs of weakness in some traditional sectors such as agriculture and manufacturing.

Among services, in particular, financial and insurance activities (+1,91%, equal to 2.868 additional units) are prominent, followed by professional, scientific and technical activities (+1,59% and +4.059 units), and administrative activities and support services (+1,13% and 2.577 additional units).

In absolute terms, after construction (+5.369 businesses during the period), accommodation and food service activities stand out (+4.851 units, +1,07%) along with real estate activities (+3.191 units, +0,96%).

But manufacturing businesses grew by just 0,10% (483 additional businesses), and agriculture, forestry and fishing came to just +0,23% (+1.549 units).

This dualism between innovative sectors/services and traditional activities is even more clearly reflected within the craft sector.

The growth of crafts is in fact almost entirely underpinned by construction and other service activities (repairs, maintenance and the supply of personal services to individuals).

Almost one in two new craft businesses falls within the construction sector (+2.660 businesses), while 1.473 craft businesses operate in the personal services currently in greatest demand: from repairs and maintenance of personal and household goods to wellness services and services for the care of older people. On the other hand, as mentioned, manufacturing continues to lose ground (-289 units).

Movimprese by territory: the South leads, but the Centre is growing faster

The increase affects all of the country's macro-areas, but with varying intensity. In absolute terms, the South and the Islands lead the rankings with an increase of 11.129, followed by the North-West (+8.121) and Centre (+7.730).

Looking instead at the quarterly growth rate, the most dynamic geographical area is the Centre (+0,64%), driven by the stronger performance of Lazio (+0,73%) and Tuscany (+0,60%).

Next come the South (+0,56%), the North-East (+0,53%) and the North-West (+0,53%).

Among the individual regions, the highest rates belong to Valle d’Aosta (+0,86%), Lazio (+0,73%), Abruzzo (+0,71%) and Campania (+0,71%).

In crafts, the clear leader in absolute terms is the North-West (+1.575 balances), followed by the North-East (+1.294 balances). In relative terms, however, it is the Centre of Italy that leads in dynamism, with a positive change of 0,44% – almost three times that of the very weak +0,17% recorded in the same period of 2025.

Limited companies: the true engine of growth

The analysis by legal form confirms an established trend: companies limited by shares remain the most dynamic component of the Italian business fabric.

With a positive balance of 19.861 units (resulting from 30.189 registrations and just 10.328 closures), they recorded +1%.

Sole proprietorships grew by 13.120 units (+0,46%). The decline of partnerships limited by persons continues; they ended the quarter in negative territory, with a balance of -611 businesses (-0,08%): it is the only legal form in decline.

This article was translated from the original Italian version with the assistance of artificial intelligence. In case of discrepancies, please refer to the original Italian version.