Italian banks, Bankit and insurance companies are the largest holders of Italian public debt

Italian banks and insurance companies, together with the Bank of Italy, are the largest holders of Italian public debt securities. According to Bank of Italy data, these 3 investors hold almost half (48%) of Italian public debt according to the data updated at the end of 2016.

In detail, banks hold 17.77% of Italian public debt , followed by insurers and the Bank of Italy. Italian households account for 6.19% of total public debt outstanding while foreign investors account for 36.10% of Italy’s public debt: below about 15 percentage points compared to the end of 2010.