The Italian workers’ compensation institute INAIL presented its 2025 annual report to the Chamber of Deputies in Rome, Italy, on 22 September 2026. The number of fatal workplace accidents fell by 3.3 percent to 1,198, while the number of reported occupational diseases rose by 11.3 percent to its highest level in 26 years.
Fewer fatal accidents, more reports
According to the annual report, INAIL recorded a total of 1,198 fatal workplace accidents in 2025, of which 1,189 involved employees and 9 involved students. This represents a decline of 3.3 percent compared with the 1,239 fatalities recorded in 2024. Construction, industry and manufacturing, and transport together accounted for nearly 60 percent of all fatal accidents, a concentration the institute says has recurred in Italian accident statistics for years.
The total number of reported accidents rose slightly, by 1.2 percent, to 600,000. Of these, 519,000 involved employees. Around 80 percent of these accidents occurred during work itself, with the remaining 20 percent occurring during commuting — a category that increased by 2.4 percent. INAIL does not link this rise to a specific cause, but the figures are a point of attention for employers responsible for transporting staff.
Record rise in occupational disease claims
More striking is the rise in occupational disease claims: 98,312 in 2025, compared with 88,338 in 2024, an increase of 11.3 percent and the highest number in 26 years. Musculoskeletal disorders account for roughly 70,000 reports, more than 75 percent of all claims. Cancer remains the leading cause of death among those affected by recognized occupational diseases.
INAIL president Fabrizio D’Ascenzo stressed at the presentation that the rise in occupational disease claims mainly reflects better detection of previously underreported cases and increased prevention efforts within companies, rather than an actual deterioration in working conditions. According to him, the figure shows that employees and company doctors are now reporting complaints faster than before.
Financial scale
In 2025, INAIL paid out more than 5.61 billion euros in benefits, of which 4.91 billion euros went to pensions for permanent disability or for the surviving dependants of fatal victims. Against this expenditure stood premium and contribution income of 10.38 billion euros, an increase of 6 percent compared with the previous year. The difference between income and payouts reflects, among other things, the reserves the institute holds for future obligations.
Context
The Italian figures fit into a broader European trend of a low and slightly declining number of fatal workplace accidents. According to Eurostat, 3,298 people died in workplace accidents across the European Union in 2023, comparable to the 3,286 cases in 2022, and the number of fatal accidents per 100,000 workers has remained low for years compared with previous decades. Italy is among the member states with a relatively large share of construction and industrial work, sectors that Eurostat says are overrepresented EU-wide in fatal accident statistics.
Source: INAIL’s annual report presented to the Chamber of Deputies: fatal workplace accidents reported declined in 2025, occupational diseases increasingly detected, 22 September 2026
Additional research: Eurostat, “Accidents at work claimed 3 298 lives in the EU in 2023” (ec.europa.eu/eurostat)
