«Cosmetics is one of the flagships of Made in Italy. A sector that brings prestige to Italy and generates wealth and jobs»: thus the prime minister Giorgia Meloni opened the 2023 public assembly of Cosmetica Italia, the national association of cosmetic companies. A sector that closed 2022 with a turnover of 13.2 billion euros, an increase of 9% compared to 2019, the year before the pandemic crisis, and which this year should achieve further growth of 7.7 % to 14.2 billion.
«Not everyone knows – continues Meloni – that the skills, manufacturing, research and development of this sector are in Italy and that the biggest brands in the world also rely on Italian companies. So much so that 67% of the make-up consumed in Europe, and 55% of that used in the world, is produced in Italy. And this is the reason why this government intends to pay the same attention to this sector as it does to sectors that are better known to the general public, such as fashion, agri-food, design and the automotive sector».
Confirming the international vocation of our cosmetic companies are the data on exports which bring the trade balance to a record value of 3.2 billion at the end of 2022 thanks to exports which account for 42% at 5.6 billion (+15, 8% compared to 2021) and which is expected to reach 6.2 billion (+10%) in 2023.
«The numbers testify to how solid and mature the sector is, capable of facing extremely complex and challenging scenarios – adds Benedetto Lavino, president of Cosmetica Italia -. And how capable it is of creating a virtuous spiral with those connected upstream and downstream, from suppliers to distribution, with a strong impact on internationalization».
According to a study conducted by Althesys, the cosmetics system in Italy in 2021 generated a shared value of 22.3 billion euros in 2021, equal to 1.25% of GDP. Shared value is synonymous with benefits for the community. Suffice it to say that 90% of direct repercussions are perceived by the state, workers and other companies in the supply chain. The tax contribution generated is 6.7 billion euros between the supply chain and related industries; 30% of the value created is distributed to the State through various taxes and contributions. The impact on employment is also significant: 6.3 additional jobs in the extended supply chain for each employee in the cosmetics industry. In addition, the companies devote 6.4 billion euros to salaries and contributions, giving work to around 155,000 workers in the chain that goes from production to distribution. The number of workers rises to 390,000 including the professional beauty and hairdressing channels.