Italians have borrowed 170 million for their holidays

Despite the climate of uncertainty, over 28 million Italians are planning to go on holiday this year. And many, in order to spread the cost of their trip over time and ease the strain on their monthly budget, are choosing to finance their holiday expenses with a personal loan. According to a survey commissioned by Facile.it from the research institute EMG, holiday loans totalling around 170 million euros were granted in the first five months of 2026.

However, this figure – which emerges from an analysis of over 400,000 personal loan applications – is lower than that recorded in the same period of 2025, when it had exceeded 200 million euros. The cost of holidays, however, continues to represent a significant item of expenditure: according to Italians, they expect to spend an average of 939 euros per person on their summer holidays, taking into account transport and accommodation only.

Loans for holidays account for just over 1 per cent of total personal loan applications, but their share has risen by 42 per cent compared with 2019. Those who choose to take out a loan to cover travel expenses borrow an average of 5,400 euros, to be repaid in around 50 monthly instalments of 132 euros each.

Whilst the average age of those applying for a personal loan in Italia is over 46, in the case of holiday loans it drops to 38. In fact, over a fifth of applications come from young people aged between 25 and 30. In 69 per cent of cases, the applicants are men, who request an average of €5,626 – around 15 per cent more than women.

This gap also reflects the difference in declared incomes: men report an average salary of 2,338 euros, which is 36 per cent higher than that of female applicants.