Italy is growing thanks to women’s work and entrepreneurship Immigrant women driving inclusive growth and reshaping the Italian economy.

There is a part of Italy that continues to grow while the rest lags behind. It is the Italy of immigrant entrepreneurship, increasingly represented by women. In less than fifteen years, businesses run by women of foreign origin have increased by over 56%, reaching 164,509 in 2024. Today, one in four immigrant-owned businesses is female. This figure not only describes an economic trend but also reflects a structural transformation of the Italian production system.

What the data tell us about female entrepreneurship in Italy today

These figures come from the Immigration and Entrepreneurship Report 2025, an observatory that for more than ten years has been tracking changes in foreign entrepreneurship in Italy. Year after year, the picture becomes clearer: while “native” entrepreneurship is undergoing a structural decline, businesses run by immigrants continue to grow and show a vitality that the rest of the system struggles to express. Within this dynamic, the role of women stands out. Between 2011 and 2024, female immigrant-led businesses increased by 56.2%, with an additional push over the last five years (+8.3%). Today, they represent 24.7% of all immigrant-led businesses: one in four. This indicates a gradual rebalancing compared to the historically male-dominated field and reflects deep changes in entrepreneurial profiles, skills, and paths of economic integration. From 2011 to 2024, businesses run by people born in Italy decreased by 7.9%, while immigrant businesses grew by 46.9%. This striking gap shows that foreign entrepreneurship is no longer a marginal or temporary phenomenon but a structural component of the national economy. Within this growth, the role of women has been far from secondary; on the contrary, it has been decisive. Comparing with female entrepreneurship born in Italy makes the picture even clearer. In the same period, businesses run by Italian women declined slightly (-3.5% since 2020). As a result, by the end of 2024, companies led by women of foreign origin represent 12.6% of all female independent activities in the country: about one in eight. This is almost double the share in 2011 (7.3%) and even higher than the overall share of immigrant businesses in the entire national entrepreneurial landscape (11.3%).

A diverse society is an asset

This is not just growth in numbers, but a profound transformation in the quality and role of female immigrant entrepreneurship. Its expansion is closely linked to the growing weight of the services sector in the Italian economy. Trade remains the main field of entry, with 48,810 businesses, followed by accommodation and catering activities (21,517): sectors with relatively low barriers to entry and stable domestic demand. But that’s not all. In the last five years, the most interesting trends have emerged in sectors that traditionally remained on the margins of immigrant entrepreneurship. The “other service activities”, largely encompassing personal care services, reached 18,812 businesses, growing by 27.2% and becoming the third largest sector. This reflects, on one hand, the increased demand for care in an aging society, and on the other, the ability of immigrant women to identify concrete needs and translate them into economic initiatives. Even more notable is the expansion in high-skill sectors: real estate (+33.3%), financial and insurance (+24.7%), professional, scientific, and technical (+24.2%). These fields require specific skills, familiarity with regulatory frameworks, relational capital, and the ability to operate in complex contexts. Together, these sectors account for almost 10,000 female immigrant-led businesses and signal a clear shift in economic integration trajectories. These figures become even more significant when compared with structural labor market conditions. Immigrant women continue to be among the most disadvantaged: heavily concentrated in domestic and care work, often employed in low-paid roles with limited opportunities for professional mobility. This situation persists even with high levels of education, qualified skills, and long-term stabilization in the country.

Entrepreneurship as empowerment and a strategic resource

In this scenario, entrepreneurship takes on a meaning beyond the economic dimension. It becomes a tool of empowerment and a way to leverage human capital. Starting a business means breaking away from a segmented labor market, building autonomy, creating jobs, and contributing to the development of the territories in which one operates. The Report also highlights territorial differences, levels of integration within production chains, and the most represented nationalities, providing a complex picture far from any simplification. In an Italy that continues to discuss immigration almost exclusively in emergency or security terms, these numbers tell another story. They tell of women who create jobs, support local economies, innovate in services and professional sectors, and experiment with new integration models. An Italy that grows despite challenges, often without adequate support policies, and should be recognized not as an exception but as a strategic resource.