Double-digit growth for Benefit Corporations in Italy in 2025.
Economic performance and employment grow more than in other companies, particularly with higher wages and greater value redistribution: about 3,000 euros more per employee (in median terms), supporting household purchasing power. Between 2022 and 2024, employment grew in more than 6 out of 10 Benefit Corporations (15 percentage points more than non-benefit companies). Furthermore, benefit corporations with at least one under-40 are more dynamic, hire more, and pay better. In one out of four, more than half of the board is composed of women.
These are some of the main elements emerging from the national research on benefit corporations 2026, conducted by NATIVA, the Research Department of Intesa Sanpaolo, InfoCamere, the University of Padua, the Chamber of Commerce of Brindisi-Taranto, and Assobenefit.
All the details.
BENEFIT CORPORATIONS ARE GROWING IN ITALY
Benefit corporations in Italy number 5,540 at the end of 2025, with growth of over 20% compared to the previous year and an incidence, for large companies, equal to 2.2% of the total registered companies.
In addition to numerical growth, employment weight also increases: in 2025 benefit corporations employ about 241 thousand employees, with an increase of over 11% compared to the 217 thousand of the previous year, confirming the progressive consolidation of this model in the Italian entrepreneurial system. Economically, benefit corporations generated 69 billion euros in production value in the 2024 fiscal year, up from 62 billion the previous year and equal to 2.5% of the total value generated by all registered companies.
ECONOMIC PERFORMANCE AND EMPLOYMENT GROW MORE THAN OTHER COMPANIES
The analysis of performance in the 2022-2024 period highlights better dynamics for benefit corporations compared to traditional companies (comparable by size and macro-sector), as well as a more significant economic and social impact. Benefit corporations recorded a revenue growth of 14.6%, versus 5.3% for non-benefit companies (in median terms). In the same period, added value increased by 19.7%, compared to 12.6% for traditional companies.
AT THE SAME TIME, LABOR COSTS ALSO INCREASE
Labor costs also rise more markedly, increasing by 21.6% in benefit corporations compared to 11.2% in non-benefit companies. In 2024, moreover, the salary per employee in Benefit Corporations is about 3,000 euros higher than that of comparable non-benefit companies (also in median terms). These data highlight greater value redistribution towards people and their families, in an economic context characterized by strong inflationary pressures and erosion of purchasing power.
Support is observed not only in terms of recognized value but also as employment support: the share of benefit corporations that increased their employees between 2022 and 2024 is 63%, 15 points higher than the comparison sample. This confirms the strong orientation of benefit corporations towards creating positive impact on the community.
FOCUS ON PROFITABILITY
Profitability also shows a more favorable trend. In the considered period, benefit corporations recorded an EBITDA growth of 16.2%, higher than the 10.5% observed among non-benefit companies. Furthermore, Benefit Corporations are characterized by a higher degree of investment in important strategic levers such as innovation, internationalization, attention to sustainability, and investment in renewable energy.
REGARDING GOVERNANCE: MORE INCLUSIVE AND YOUNGER BOARDS
The research also highlights some significant differences in governance composition. In one out of four benefit corporations, more than half of the board is composed of women, while overall 47% of benefit corporations have at least one woman on the board, compared to 36% of traditional companies. The presence of young people is also more widespread: 29.3% of Benefit Corporations have at least one board member under 40, compared to 21.8% of non-benefit companies. Conversely, boards composed exclusively of members over 65 are less frequent, with an incidence of 4.9% among Benefit Corporations compared to 11% in traditional companies.
The importance of the presence of young people within companies can be observed from various aspects: among benefit corporations, companies with at least one under-40 on the board, compared to those composed exclusively of over-65s, register a revenue growth of 17.4% (vs +6.2%), an increase in employees of 15.5% (vs +10.1%), and an added value growth of 22.5% (vs +12.6%), suggesting a correlation between greater renewal in governance and better economic performance.
CONCENTRATION OF BENEFIT CORPORATIONS IN TELECOM AND MANUFACTURING
At the sectoral level, the highest concentration of benefit corporations is recorded in professional activities, which count 1,510 companies, followed by the telecommunications sector with 866 and manufacturing with 633. The administrative activities sector stands out, however, in the distribution of employees, concentrating the highest number of workers in benefit corporations: 72.6 thousand employees, equal to 41.76 per thousand of the total sector.
LOMBARDY LEADS IN NUMBER OF BENEFIT COMPANIES
Finally, from a territorial point of view, Lombardy confirms itself as the region with the highest presence of benefit corporations, with 1,721 companies at the end of 2025. It is followed by Lazio with 670 companies, Veneto with 551, and Emilia-Romagna with 472.
The Lombardy region also stands out economically, being the territory with the greatest contribution from benefit corporations. In the region, these companies generate 32 billion euros in production value and represent 37.75 per thousand of the total value produced by registered companies. Furthermore, Lombardy ranks among the regions with the highest incidence of benefit corporations, with 3.11 per thousand, followed by Friuli-Venezia Giulia and Trentino-Alto Adige.
At the provincial level, particularly dynamic territories also emerge. Milan leads the ranking of Italian provinces with the highest incidence of benefit corporations, equal to 4.38 per thousand, followed by Trieste (3.99 per thousand) and Parma (3.59 per thousand).
