Italian retirees abroad: how many there are and their preferred destinations in 2025

In recent years the phenomenon of Italian pensioners abroad has grown steadily, becoming a real social and economic trend. According to the most recent data, in 2024 over 228.600 Italian pensioners They resided permanently outside Italy, a threefold increase compared to fifteen years ago. A significant portion, approximately 37.800, worked their entire lives in Italy and then moved after retirement in search of more favorable tax conditions, a higher quality of life, and a lower cost of living.

Italian pensioners abroad: where they move

THEAlbania is establishing itself as an emerging destination thanks to the tax regime which from 2021 provides for total exemption from taxes on pension income, while the Romania It is attractive due to its low cost of living and a flat tax rate of 10%.

Il Portugal, which until a few years ago was the number one destination, has lost some of its appeal after the end of the tax regime for non-habitual residents, but it still remains among the countries that guarantee the highest average pensions.

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The increasingly popular Tunisia, especially the Hammamet area, where 80% of the pension is tax-free and purchasing power is very high thanks to a low cost of living.

However, at the top of the rankings remains the Spain, which continues to be the favorite destination for Italian retirees. In 2023 alone, over 500 people chose to move here, attracted by the mild climate, a reliable healthcare system, and an already well-established Italian community.

Why more and more retirees are leaving Italy

The reasons why many more pensioners are leaving Italy are mainly fiscal and economic: lower taxes, affordable cost of living and greater purchasing power.

Added to this is the search for a more favourable climate, the possibility of integrating into Italian communities already well-established and in some cases even an efficient, low-cost healthcare system.

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Despite the boom, returns to Italy are few: only a few dozen or a hundred each year, with peaks during the pandemic.

All this demonstrates that for many retirees, living abroad is not a temporary adventure, but a definitive choice to improve their well-being.