Share of Italian companies at high risk of insolvency March 2020, by sector

A forecast from March 2020 analyzed the risk of insolvency of Italian companies operating in different sectors. On average, the outlook estimated that 6.8 percent of all Italian companies are expected to face a high risk of insolvency due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Especially, it is estimated that the coronavirus outbreak will increase significantly the risk of insolvency among enterprises operating in the water and waste management sector. Indeed, the insolvency rate in this sector is expected to rise by four percent in 2020, compared to a scenario without COVID-19. The forecast, considering a scenario in which the pandemic ends at the end of summer 2020, also estimated that 10.6 percent of construction companies would be at high risk of insolvency. Conversely, in a scenario without COVID-19, 8.1 percent of all Italian companies operating in the construction sector would have been at risk of insolvency in 2020. On the other hand, some sectors might record economic benefits from the COVID-19 pandemic. In fact, the study estimated that the outbreak will lower the risk of insolvency among pharmaceutical, IT and communication companies.

Currently, the coronavirus (COVID-19) has infected people in over 100 countries across six continents. For a global overview of the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic, consult the report Coronavirus: impact on the global economy.