The Cerved research institute and the Unioncamere association of chambers of commerce each conducted their own study.
Cerved said that Italy saw 89,192 new businesses emerge in 2022, 10,587 fewer than 2021 and down 5.9 per cent from 2019.
2019 was the first year that saw a fall after straight gains since 2013.
It cited several factors contributing to the fall.
The list of culprits included the overall slowdown of the economy, price rises and interest rate hikes, as well as uncertainty about the future.
In its own study on the women-led firms, Unioncamere said fewer women had created businesses in traditional sectors like agriculture, retail, manufacturing and hospitality.
At the same time, innovative female entrepreneurship had accelerated in sectors that require greater levels of content knowledge.
ANSA
