The Italian cosmetics industry continues to create value for the country
Turnover of 18.1 billion euros and consumption up to 13.1 billion
The Italian cosmetics industry remains one of the most dynamic and strategic sectors of ‘Made in Italy’. With an expected turnover of €18.1 billion in 2026 and growth over the last ten years that has outpaced the national GDP by more than six times, the cosmetics sector continues to create value, skilled employment and competitiveness for the country. Against a backdrop of constantly evolving geopolitics, which is reshaping the geography of exports, the sector maintains a solid growth trajectory. Against this backdrop, Lombardy reaffirms its position as the main hub of the Italian cosmetics industry, accounting for 35.1 per cent of national cosmetics companies, 51.1 per cent of employees and 63 per cent of Italian turnover.
These are the key figures that illustrate the strength of the Italian cosmetics industry and its contribution to the country’s growth. It is a sector that continues to stand out for its industrial capabilities, commitment to innovation and international focus, and which has its main production and strategic hub in Lombardy.
The figures were presented today at Assolombarda during the event ‘Beauty that creates value. The figures for the Italian cosmetics sector and Lombardy’s strategic role in the beauty economy”, the opening conference of Milan Beauty Week 2026 (an initiative by Cosmetica Italia in collaboration with Cosmoprof and Esxence).
“The Italian cosmetics industry continues to be a strategic sector for the country’s growth,” comments Benedetto Lavino, president of Cosmetica Italia. “ Over the last ten years, it has recorded growth rates more than six times higher than those of GDP and the Italian manufacturing sector, demonstrating a unique ability to create value, innovation and skilled employment. Today, the sector is entering a new phase: growth continues, but the complex international landscape is shifting the competition between global cosmetics systems, not just between companies. To meet this challenge, we need to strengthen the positioning of the Italian cosmetics sector, drawing on the strength of the supply chain and its defining characteristics. It is in this context that ‘This is Bellezza: Say Hello To Italian Beauty’ comes into play – a network of partnerships designed to showcase the distinctive features of our industry to the world, where science, technology, creativity and craftsmanship come together to generate opportunities, attract strategic resources and support the sector’s development in Italia and around the world.”
Alvise Biffi, president of Assolombarda, adds: ‘The cosmetics sector is much more than just a beauty-related sector: it is an industry that creates value, innovation and jobs, and represents one of the strongest expressions of “Made in Italy” around the world. Assolombarda’s ‘Quadrilatero’ – Milan, Monza and Brianza, Lodi and Pavia – is at the heart of this system: it is home to 434 companies, 39,000 employees and a turnover of 8.7 billion euros. These figures illustrate the strength of an ecosystem comprising businesses, expertise, research, universities and production capacity, but also a strong international focus. It is precisely this combination of deep local roots and openness to global markets that we must continue to strengthen, by investing in innovation, research, skills and new opportunities for international development. Beauty Week is a major event for Milan, but not only for Milan. We will also be showcasing the Lodi area, one of the most important regions within Lombardy’s cosmetics sector, which, through the ‘Lodi Beauty District’ initiative on 17 September, will take centre stage at an event dedicated to the value that businesses, skills and innovation generate for the region. Milan Beauty Week is therefore an important opportunity to showcase not only the beauty of the products, but above all the industry, the people and the economic value behind them. Beauty creates value when it is backed by an industry capable of innovating, investing and competing on the global stage. And here, in Lombardy and across the regions covered by Assolombarda, that industry exists.’
