Arabs in Italy

Arabs in Italy (Italian: Arabi in Italia, Arabic: عرب إيطاليا) are Italian residents of Arab heritage.

Arabs in Italy
Arabi in Italia

Total population
719,545 – 801,595 (2021; foreign citizens only)[1][2]
Regions with significant populations
Lombardy Emilia-Romagna Piedmont Veneto
Languages
Arabic and Italian
Religion
Islam and Christianity

According to the Italian National Institute of Statistics (ISTAT), most Arab non-Italian citizens residing in Italy come from North Africa, most notably from Morocco, Egypt, Tunisia and Algeria. Other notable countries of origin include Somalia, Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, Libya, Sudan, Jordan and Palestine.

As a result of mixed marriages and naturalization, many Arabs in Italy are Italian nationals or second-generation children of expatriates. Between 2008 and 2020, almost 340,000 people from Arab-speaking countries acquired Italian citizenship. As Italy doesn't collect data based on ethnicity it is not possible to know the actual number of Italians with Arab ancestry.

History

In the 9th century AD, Arabs settled in mass in the island of Sicily and formed the Emirate of Sicily under Islamic rule.^[3] During this period, there were several attempts to invade mainland Italy, with the Emirate of Bari being one of the most notable examples.^[4] Arabs have significantly impacted the genetics of the Island of Sicily as well as neighboring areas.^[5]

Population

Foreigners from Arab countries in Italy according to the 2021 Census^[1]

Ancestry	Population	% of Italy population
Moroccan	428,947	0.724%
Egyptian	139,569	0.236%
Tunisian	97,407	0.164%
Algerian	18,538	0.031%
Somali	7,629	0.014%
Syrian	6,633	0.011%
Iraqi	6,035	0.009%
Lebanese	4,374	0.007%
Libyan	2,741	0.005%
Sudanese	2,382	0.004%
Jordanian	1,616	0.003%
Palestinians	1,078	0.002%
Mauritanians	779	0.001%
Saudi	734	<0.001%
Bahrain	413	<0.001%
Yemeni	308	<0.001%
Qatari	101	<0.001%
Kuwaiti	101	<0.001%
Emirati	67	<0.001%
Omani	48	<0.001%
Djibouti	26	<0.001%
Comoros	19	<0.001%
Total	719,545	1.215%

People from Arab countries who became Italian citizens between 2008 and 2020 by country of origin^[6]

Previous citizenship	Population	% of Italy population
Moroccan	249,147	0.421%
Tunisian	39,616	0.067%
Egyptian	27,510	0.046%
Algerian	11,865	0.020%
Lebanese	2,444	0.004%
Somali	1,999	0.003%
Syrian	1,993	0.003%
Jordanian	1,569	0.003%
Iraqi	827	0.001%
Sudanese	658	0.001%
Palestinians	485	<0.001%
Mauritanians	352	<0.001%
Libyan	307	<0.001%
Yemeni	66	<0.001%
Kuwaiti	31	<0.001%
Saudi	13	<0.001%
Bahrain	7	<0.001%
Djibouti	6	<0.001%
Qatari	4	<0.001%
Emirati	4	<0.001%
Comoros	3	<0.001%
Omani	1	<0.001%
Total	338,907	0.572%

Foreign-born people from Arab countries by country of birth (2021 census)^[7]

Country of birth	Population	% of Italy population
Morocco	457,002	0.771%
Egypt	137,335	0.232%
Tunisia	108,831	0.184%
Libya	32,257	0.054%
Algeria	21,404	0.036%
Somalia	10,880	0.018%
Syria	8,227	0.014%
Lebanon	8,052	0.014%
Iraq	6,872	0.012%
Sudan	3,007	0.005%
Jordan	2,969	0.005%
Saudi Arabia	1,373	0.002%
United Arab Emirates	860	0.001%
Mauritania	818	0.001%
Kuwait	710	0.001%
Yemen	397	<0.001%
Qatar	250	<0.001%
Bahrain	100	<0.001%
Palestine	83	<0.001%
Oman	81	<0.001%
Djibouti	70	<0.001%
Comoros	17	<0.001%
Total	801,595	1.353%

Notable people

For a more comprehensive list, see List of Arabs in Italy.

See also

• Arab diaspora
• Arabs in Europe
• History of Islam in southern Italy
• Muslim conquest of Sicily
• Saracinesco