New ATECO code for prostitutes, escort agencies and sexual services.

Italy's national statistics agency ISTAT has included a category for prostitutes and escorts in its new ATECO classification of economic activities.

The Italian equivalent of the European Community (NACE) code, the ATECO code is used to classify economic activities for statistical, tax and social security purposes.

The section titled 'Meeting services and similar events' (code number 96.99.92) lists "activities connected to social life, for example male and female companions (escorts)", "meeting and marriage" agencies, the "provision or organisation of sexual services", the organisation of "prostitution events or management of prostitution premises", and the organisation of "meetings and other speed networking activities".

The new ATECO classification was introduced on 1 January but became operational on 1 April, according to Corriere della Sera newspaper.

In Italy prostitution itself is not illegal, nor is it regulated as an official occupation, however organised prostitution including brothels and third-party control is prohibited.

ISTAT has clarified that the new classification incorporates the European NACE category, introduced in 2023, relating to "other personal service activities" which includes "social activities, provision or arrangement of sexual services, organisation of prostitution events or operation of prostitution establishments."

The institute specified that the ATECO classification "may include, in addition to legal activities, also non-legal ones, in order to guarantee the exhaustiveness of the classification and the full comparability of data between EU countries, regardless of their regulatory regime", Corriere della Sera reports.

ISTAT further clarified that: "The implementation of the Ateco 2025 classification at national level will concern only resident economic operators who carry out legal activities, as in the case of code 96.99.92 which includes, for example, the following activities: marriage agencies and speed dating agencies".