Economy, jobs and prices in Varese (Lombardy, Italy): official figures
GDP per person was 37,300 purchasing power standards (PPS) in 2023, 97% of the EU average (98% for Italy); 40th highest of 107 provinces in Italy.
How big is the economy of Varese?
The local economy produced €31.7 billion of output (GDP) in 2023.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow many people work in Varese?
About 360,600 people worked in Varese in 2023 (employment by place of work).
Source: Eurostat · saved copyWhat is the employment rate in Varese?
74.6% of Varese residents aged 20-64 were in work in 2024, 31st highest of 107 provinces; among women the rate was 66.6%.
Source: Istat (Istituto Nazionale di Statistica) · saved copyWhat is the average income in Varese?
Average disposable household income in Varese was €22,989 per resident in 2023, 40th highest among Italy's 107 provinces.
Source: Istat (Istituto Nazionale di Statistica) · saved copyWhat is the average salary in Varese?
The average annual gross pay of a private-sector employee in Varese was €26,059 in 2023, 10th highest in Italy (national average €23,630).
Source: Istat (Istituto Nazionale di Statistica) · saved copyWhat is the average pension in Varese?
Pensioners in Varese received an average of €22,766 a year in pension income in 2023, compared with €21,737 across Italy.
Source: Istat (Istituto Nazionale di Statistica) · saved copyWhat is the average declared income in Varese?
648,909 people in Varese filed a personal income tax (IRPEF) return for 2024, declaring an average total income of €28,109, 13th highest of Italy's 107 provinces (national average €25,816).
Source: Ministero dell'Economia e delle Finanze, Dipartimento delle Finanze · saved copyHow many high earners live in Varese?
6.9% of taxpayers in Varese declared more than €55,000 for 2024 and 0.94% more than €120,000, compared with 5.9% and 0.87% nationally.
Source: Ministero dell'Economia e delle Finanze, Dipartimento delle Finanze · saved copyWhat is the main industry in Varese?
The largest part of the economy of Varese in 2023 was finance, property and business services, at 28.4% of gross value added, followed by industry (manufacturing, mining and energy) (27.4%).
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow industrial is Varese?
Industry (manufacturing, mining and energy) made up 27.4% of output in 2023, against 20.3% for Italy.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow fast is the economy of Varese growing?
Gross value added rose from €23.4 billion in 2015 to €28.4 billion in 2023 in current prices, an increase of 21% before inflation.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyWhat jobs do people do in Varese?
Of the 360,600 jobs located in Varese in 2023, 26% in public services, education, health and other services, 25% in industry and 0.4% in farming, forestry and fishing.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyAre jobs growing in Varese?
The number of people working in Varese rose by 3.2% between 2015 and 2023, to 360,600.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyMore figures
- The labour non-participation rate (the unemployed plus people available to work but not looking, as a share of the labour force) in Varese was 7.3% in 2024, below the national figure of 13.3%. Source: Istat (Istituto Nazionale di Statistica) · saved copy
- Among young people aged 15 to 29 in Varese, 39.9% were employed in 2024 and the youth non-participation rate was 16.9% (national figures: 34.4% and 25.7%). Source: Istat (Istituto Nazionale di Statistica) · saved copy
- Employees in Varese were paid for 83.7% of a full working year (312 days) on average in 2023, a measure of how stable jobs are (78.9% nationally). Source: Istat (Istituto Nazionale di Statistica) · saved copy
- There were 10.1 fatal or permanently disabling workplace accidents per 10,000 workers in Varese in 2022 (below the national figure of 11.0). Source: Istat (Istituto Nazionale di Statistica) · saved copy
- In 2024, 55% of taxpayers in Varese declared employment income (average €27,347) and 36% declared pension income (average €23,476). Source: Ministero dell'Economia e delle Finanze, Dipartimento delle Finanze · saved copy
How Varese compares with other provinces in Italy
Disposable household income per person (€) (2023)
Varese ranks 40 of 107, highest first.
| Rank | Area | Disposable household income per person (€) |
|---|---|---|
| 37 | Cagliari | €23,319 |
| 38 | Siena | €23,248 |
| 39 | Como | €23,047 |
| 40 | Varese | €22,989 |
| 41 | Brescia | €22,706 |
| 42 | Vercelli | €22,580 |
| 43 | Sondrio | €22,372 |
Average gross annual pay, private-sector employees (€) (2023)
Varese ranks 10 of 107, highest first.
| Rank | Area | Average gross annual pay, private-sector employees (€) |
|---|---|---|
| 7 | Lecco | €26,767 |
| 8 | Torino | €26,426 |
| 9 | Bergamo | €26,083 |
| 10 | Varese | €26,059 |
| 11 | Bolzano-Bozen | €26,020 |
| 12 | Trieste | €25,926 |
| 13 | Vicenza | €25,652 |
Average declared income per taxpayer (€) (2024)
Varese ranks 13 of 107, highest first.
| Rank | Area | Average declared income per taxpayer (€) |
|---|---|---|
| 10 | Trieste | €28,404 |
| 11 | Reggio nell’Emilia | €28,350 |
| 12 | Torino | €28,340 |
| 13 | Varese | €28,109 |
| 14 | Padova | €28,084 |
| 15 | Piacenza | €28,043 |
| 16 | Novara | €28,003 |
Employment rate, ages 20-64 (%) (2024)
Varese ranks 31 of 107, highest first.
| Rank | Area | Employment rate, ages 20-64 (%) |
|---|---|---|
| 28 | Pesaro e Urbino | 74.7% |
| 29 | Biella | 74.6% |
| 30 | Ferrara | 74.6% |
| 31 | Varese | 74.6% |
| 32 | Perugia | 74.5% |
| 33 | Reggio nell’Emilia | 74.5% |
| 34 | Vicenza | 74.5% |
Share of output from industry (manufacturing, mining and energy) (2023)
Varese ranks 25 of 107, highest first.
| Rank | Area | Share of output from industry (manufacturing, mining and energy) |
|---|---|---|
| 22 | Gorizia | 27.9% |
| 23 | Prato | 27.8% |
| 24 | Padova | 27.5% |
| 25 | Varese | 27.4% |
| 26 | Lucca | 27.0% |
| 27 | Bologna | 26.8% |
| 28 | Chieti | 26.4% |
Share of output from finance, property and business services (2023)
Varese ranks 23 of 107, highest first.
| Rank | Area | Share of output from finance, property and business services |
|---|---|---|
| 20 | Viterbo | 28.7% |
| 21 | Reggio nell’Emilia | 28.7% |
| 22 | Trento | 28.5% |
| 23 | Varese | 28.4% |
| 24 | Pistoia | 28.4% |
| 25 | Pisa | 28.4% |
| 26 | Bologna | 28.4% |
Share of output from public administration, education, health and other services (2023)
Varese ranks 88 of 107, highest first.
| Rank | Area | Share of output from public administration, education, health and other services |
|---|---|---|
| 85 | Piacenza | 15.9% |
| 86 | Novara | 15.8% |
| 87 | Forlì-Cesena | 15.8% |
| 88 | Varese | 15.5% |
| 89 | Como | 15.4% |
| 90 | Padova | 15.1% |
| 91 | Arezzo | 14.9% |
More on Varese: overview · health · education and schools · poverty and living standards · government budget · government and politics · Lombardy · Italy
Sources
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset nama_10r_3gdp: GDP per person, PPS (NUTS 3), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 3bf0fc662f56…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset nama_10r_3gdp: GDP, million euros (NUTS 3), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 096e15e5fdb3…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset nama_10r_3empers: Employment, thousand people (NUTS 3), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 664e4e3a6dc0…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset nama_10r_3empers: Employment (thousand persons) by NUTS 3 region and industry, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 222a97c302d3…)
- Istat (Istituto Nazionale di Statistica): BES dei territori, edizione 2025: well-being indicators for the 107 provinces and metropolitan cities (Indicatori_per_provincia_sesso_ed.2025.xlsx), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 90f90043ad3d…)
- Ministero dell'Economia e delle Finanze, Dipartimento delle Finanze: Redditi e principali variabili IRPEF su base comunale, anno d'imposta 2024 (personal income tax returns by municipality), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 75cecc95d72b…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset nama_10r_3gva: Gross value added at basic prices by NUTS 3 region and industry, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 c656e8563bdf…)
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