Surveys on Financial Literacy and Digital Financial Skills in Italy: Small Businesses - 2025

Surveys on Financial Literacy and Digital Financial Skills
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Small Business

In 2025, Banca d'Italia conducted a sample survey to assess financial literacy and digital finance skills among micro‑entrepreneurs in Italy. The survey involved 5,000 owners of micro‑enterprises, representative of the target population, who were interviewed using a mixed‑mode approach, either online or by telephone.

The main findings are summarized below.

Financial Knowledge and Financial Behaviour

The average financial literacy score measured by aggregating knowledge of basic financial concepts (8 questions), financial behaviour (8), and financial attitudes (3), amounted to 74 per cent of the maximum score. Financial literacy is higher among micro‑enterprises with larger turnover and among exporting firms; no gender gap is observed in financial literacy scores among entrepreneurs. Compared with the 2021 survey, average levels of financial literacy-calculated on the basis of the 17 questions comparable across the two survey waves-show an improvement of 2 per cent, attributable to the components related to financial behaviour and attitudes.

Fifteen per cent of respondents fall into the lowest category of basic financial concept comprehension (0-3 correct answers out of 8), while 40 per cent are in the intermediate category (4-6 correct answers). The remaining 45 per cent place in the highest category (at least 7 correct answers). Better financial knowledge is also associated with higher scores in both financial behaviour and financial attitudes.

Use of Business Payment Instruments

The use of business payment instruments, which helps maintain a clearer separation between personal and business finances, is widespread among micro-entrepreneurs. Eighty-six per cent use debit cards, 62 per cent use credit cards, and 33 per cent use prepaid cards. In addition, about one-fifth supplement their payment cards with digital wallets.

Adoption of Digital Technologies

The survey also examines the adoption of digital technologies that can help increase productivity, reduce operating costs, and improve data management in small businesses. Artificial intelligence is used, either extensively or to a limited extent, by only 5 per cent of the micro-enterprises, with higher adoption rates in the information and communication services sector and in professional, scientific, and technical activities. Robotics is employed by 6 per cent of firms and is most prevalent in manufacturing, while process interconnectivity, adopted by 4 per cent of firms, is more common in the information and communication services sector. Cloud computing, which is easier to implement, has been adopted either extensively or to a limited extent by 44 per cent of firms and is relatively widespread across companies in different sectors. A share of micro-enterprises is currently experimenting with digital technologies or plans to adopt them within the next year: 19 per cent in the field of artificial intelligence, 13 per cent for process interconnectivity, and 12 per cent for robotics and cloud-based solutions.

Holding other characteristics constant, the likelihood of adopting-either on an experimental basis or more extensively-at least one of the following technologies: artificial intelligence, robotics, or process interconnectivity, is higher among women entrepreneurs. It is also positively associated with business owners' level of financial knowledge, which may enhance their ability to assess the economic returns on digital investments.

Strategies for Mitigating the Physical Risks of Climate Change

The surveyed micro-entrepreneurs employ a range of strategies to mitigate the potential financial impacts of climate-related events that may affect their business operations. These include purchasing insurance coverage (28 per cent), investing in business safety and resilience (26 per cent), and relocating business activities (14 per cent). Holding other characteristics constant, the adoption of these strategies is positively associated with the behavioural dimension of financial literacy, which is more closely linked than financial knowledge itself to the ability to adapt business decisions and plans to changing circumstances.

Full text

  1. 08 September 2026
    Surveys on Financial Literacy and Digital Financial Skills in Italy: Small Businesses
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