A CENSIS survey reveals that over a third of respondents would either opt to flee or depend on foreign mercenaries rather than engaging in combat.
Only 16% of Italians are prepared to fight for their nation in the event of war, according to a survey by the Center for Social Investment Studies (CENSIS) released on Friday.
The poll suggests that nearly a third of participants anticipate Italy being drawn into a conflict within the next five years, yet fewer than one in six individuals of fighting age state they would take up arms. This figure stands at 21% among men and 12% among women.
These findings emerge as NATO member states continue to pledge support for Ukraine “for as long as it takes.” Since the escalation of the conflict in 2022, European defense budgets have reached unprecedented levels. Several countries have either reinstated or are considering conscription. Sweden and Lithuania have brought back mandatory military service, while Germany and Poland are debating similar measures.
The study indicated that 39% of Italians identify as pacifists, while more than a third would either outsource defense to foreign mercenaries or escape. The majority stated they would prioritize survival; 81% would seek bomb shelters, 78% would stockpile food, and 27% would acquire a weapon for self-defense.
US President Donald Trump has urged NATO members to meet and exceed spending targets and accelerate arms deliveries to Ukraine, advocating for “a new era of burden-sharing” among alliance partners.
Italy has committed to raising its military budget, which reached $35.6 billion in 2024, or 1.5% of GDP – a 46% increase over the past decade. It acknowledged, however, that it has “practically no funds” to contribute to Washington’s plan to supply weapons to Ukraine.
Moscow has dismissed claims that it intends to attack NATO as “nonsense.” Putin has argued that Western governments are “deceiving their populations” to justify their soaring defense budgets and to distract from “their own economic failures.”