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• The International Property Rights Index (IPRI) 2024, recently published, highlights global challenges in property rights protection.
• Italy ranks 36th, standing out in trademark protection but showing weaknesses in credit access and physical property rights protection.
• To attract investments and foster innovation, Italy needs measures to strengthen property rights protection and improve its legal system.

The International Property Rights Index (IPRI) was published on October 22, 2024, by the Property Rights Alliance, with contributions from 131 think tanks, including Competere. The IPRI is the only global comparative index that ranks the strength of property rights, covering both physical and intellectual property, as well as the legal and political environments that support them. The index evaluates 125 countries, representing 93.4% of the world’s population and 97.5% of global GDP. 

PROPERTY RIGHTS: GLOBAL TRENDS AND CHALLENGES

The global average IPRI score in 2024 is 5.18, marking a slight decrease of 0.53% from the previous year, indicating growing challenges in the protection of property rights—a key factor for economic progress. The top-ranking countries include Finland (8.1), Singapore (7.94), Denmark (7.774), the Netherlands (7.773), and New Zealand (7.66). At the bottom of the rankings are Venezuela (1.9), Yemen (2.4), Haiti (2.6), the Democratic Republic of the Congo (3.0), and Chad (3.0). Overall, 83% of the world’s population lives in countries with IPRI scores between 2.9 and 5.7, indicating moderate protection with substantial room for improvement. Where does Italy stand?  

ITALY’S POOR PERFORMANCE: PROPERTY RIGHTS PROTECTION STILL INADEQUATE

In 2024, Italy received an overall score of 5.99, a slight decrease (-0.048) from its 6 in 2023, ranking 36th out of 125 countries. While Italy is ahead of some EU countries such as Eastern European nations and Greece, it is concerning that it ranks below Spain, Oman, and the United Arab Emirates. In 2023, Italy had reached 35th place after climbing 10 spots in the rankings, but this year it reversed the trend, weakening not only Italy’s business environment but also the Made in Italy brand, making the country less attractive for international investment. Regionally, in Western Europe, Italy ranks 18th out of 19 countries, confirming its place as the last in Europe.

Analyzing the individual factors of the index, Italy excels in trademark protection, even outperforming leading countries such as Finland and Singapore. Patent and copyright protection are satisfactory but have considerable room for improvement. The main weaknesses, however, are access to credit and weak rule of law enforcement, with laws that, although present, are not adequately implemented. The lowest score, however, was registered in the protection of physical property rights, showing a slight decline from last year.

STRENGTHENING INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY TO STIMULATE INVESTMENT

This mediocre ranking does not reflect Italy’s economic potential nor the innovation of its businesses. Measures are needed to strengthen property rights protection, essential for attracting companies and promoting innovation. Italy should reinforce its legal system, reduce bureaucracy, and expedite procedures to ensure effective legal protection of property rights. It is also essential to intensify the fight against counterfeiting, which is particularly damaging to key sectors like food and fashion. Physical property must also be protected through timely actions to ensure respect for the law. Finally, fiscal incentives are necessary for companies investing in intellectual property protection.

Read Made in Italy: priorità alla tutela della proprietà intellettuale>>>