Number of individuals affected by celiac disease in Italy 2022, by macro-region
In 2022, there were many more individuals affected by celiac disease in the North than in the rest of Italy. In the same year, the regions with the largest number of people suffering from this condition were Lombardy, Lazio and Campania. The number of new cases reported fluctuated over time. In 2014, it reached an all-time low of 7,705 new cases, after peaking the previous year at over 15.8 thousand diagnoses.
Epidemiology of celiac disease
Celiac disease is an autoimmune disease that prevents people from ingesting gluten, since this causes damage to their small intestine. In Italy, this disease was more common among women than among men and the group consisting of people aged 18 to 59 years counted the highest number of infected individuals.
Expenditure on gluten-free products
Molise – with 1,090 euros per individual affected by celiac disease - recorded the greatest expenditure per capita on gluten-free products nationwide, whereas Apulia was the region with the lowest spending per capita in Italy. In this region the spending on gluten-free products amounted to 494 euros per affected individual in 2022.
