Italian construction firms are facing increasingly restricted access to credit despite record profits reported by the nation’s largest banks, according to a statement released Sunday by Federcepicostruzioni, the federation of construction industries.
The industry group alleges that whereas Italy’s six leading credit institutions collectively earned approximately €27.7 billion in 2025 – a rise of over 16% from the €23.8 billion reported in 2024 – lending to businesses, particularly within the construction sector, remains inadequate and subject to stricter conditions.
Federcepicostruzioni asserts that the exceptional profitability of the Italian banking system is largely driven by increased financial margins and fees. However, this has not translated into increased lending to the real economy. The overall stock of loans to businesses and families has seen negligible growth over the past two years, and has decreased by tens of billions of euros since 2022.
Market analysis indicates that construction companies are experiencing more restrictive lending conditions, with banks demanding more substantial guarantees and increasingly selective credit ratings. According to analysis of the Bank of Italy’s annual report, loans to businesses decreased by 2.6% in 2024. This contraction was significantly more pronounced for small businesses, falling by approximately 6.8%, while larger companies faced less stringent lending policies.
Federcepicostruzioni emphasized the disproportionate impact on the construction sector, which it identifies as a key driver of employment, investment, and regional regeneration. The group stated that many viable companies are now unable to plan new projects, complete work related to building incentive programs, or pursue innovation and ecological transition initiatives, impacting families and local communities.
