Overview of the Best Hospitals in Italy (2025 Edition)
The Best Hospitals in Italy represent a small but highly impressive group of medical facilities capable of offering exceptional care, advanced technology, and top-level clinical expertise. In 2025, a new report from Agenas — the Italian National Agency for Regional Health Services — revealed both major strengths and persistent weaknesses within the country’s healthcare network.
The report examined 1,117 hospitals, including public and private facilities, and assessed their performance across eight major clinical areas. The results show Italy’s healthcare system is improving, but not evenly. While 15 hospitals achieved top-tier status, nearly 20% fell below essential quality standards, highlighting a clear divide between excellence and underperformance.
This long-form guide explores the results in detail, explains the evaluation system, and breaks down why some hospitals excel while others struggle. If you’re researching where to receive the highest quality care in Italy, this comprehensive breakdown will help you understand the landscape clearly.
Why Hospital Quality Still Varies Across Italy
Even though Italy’s national healthcare system aims to offer equal access to care, real differences persist. Northern regions tend to benefit from stronger infrastructure, more consistent training, and better resource allocation. Meanwhile, several southern regions still face challenges linked to staffing shortages, outdated buildings, and lower investment.
These issues directly impact patient outcomes, especially in high-risk scenarios such as cardiovascular emergencies, childbirth complications, and oncological surgeries. The Agenas report reinforces the idea that improving national health requires reducing these regional gaps.
Understanding the Agenas Evaluation System
Key Clinical Areas Used for Hospital Rankings
Agenas evaluates hospitals based on eight core clinical categories:
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Cardiovascular diseases
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Neurological diseases
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Respiratory diseases
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General surgery
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Oncological surgery
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Pregnancy and childbirth
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Musculoskeletal conditions
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Nephrology
These categories were chosen because they represent the most common and most serious health conditions treated in Italian hospitals.
How Data Is Collected and Standardized
Hospitals must provide reliable clinical data, which Agenas verifies before scoring. Facilities that fail to meet reporting standards automatically risk lower grades. The evaluation system focuses on:
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Treatment timeliness
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Accurate diagnoses
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Surgical outcomes
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Post-operative complications
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Use of high-volume specialist centers
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Overall patient safety
This approach ensures hospitals are judged based on real performance rather than patient reviews or reputation alone.
Nearly 20% of Italian Hospitals Fall Short
The most concerning data point in the 2025 report is that 198 hospitals, almost one in five, did not meet essential quality standards. These structures are now required to undergo audits and implement corrective measures.
Main Causes Behind Low Performance
Several recurring issues continue to affect struggling hospitals:
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High cesarean section rates
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Slow response times for cardiac emergencies
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Delays in elderly hip-fracture surgeries
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Insufficient data quality
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Lack of specialized units for complex cancer treatments
Regions With the Most Underperforming Facilities
The South and Islands recorded the highest number of failing hospitals:
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Campania – 51
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Sicily – 43
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Lazio – 19
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Puglia – 19
These numbers highlight the continuing healthcare inequality across the country.
The 15 Best Hospitals in Italy: 2025 National Excellence Rankings
Hospitals Scoring in All 8 Clinical Areas
Only two hospitals achieved “high” or “very high” performance in all eight categories:
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Ospedale di Savigliano (Piedmont)
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Ospedale di Mestre (Veneto)
These centers stand out as national leaders capable of offering top-tier care across nearly every major medical field.
Top Performing Hospitals by Region
Lombardy leads the country with five hospitals ranking among the best, including:
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Istituto Clinico Humanitas
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Fondazione Poliambulanza
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Papa Giovanni XXIII Hospital
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Maggiore Hospital in Lodi
Veneto also holds a strong position with three top-performing hospitals.
Other regions featuring at least one top hospital include:
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Emilia-Romagna
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Tuscany
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Umbria
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Marche
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Campania
What Sets These High-Performing Hospitals Apart
Top hospitals share several characteristics:
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High surgical volumes
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Strong emergency response systems
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Continuous professional training
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Modern equipment and facilities
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Strong adherence to national standards
They also tend to have better patient survival rates, shorter wait times, and more specialized care units.
Improvements in Maternal Care and Cardiovascular Services
Decline in Cesarean Section Rates
Italy has long struggled with excessive cesarean rates. However, these are finally improving. In 2015, the national average stood at 25%. By 2024, it fell to around 22%.
Northern regions now approach the World Health Organization’s recommended 15%, while southern regions still exceed 25%.
Faster Access to Angioplasty and Emergency Care
Timely angioplasty is essential for treating heart attacks. The report shows improvement in several regions, but delays remain a challenge in the South.
Why the North–South Divide Persists
Structural, Organizational, and Resource Differences
Northern regions generally have:
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Better infrastructure
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Higher staffing levels
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More investment in training
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Easier access to high-volume specialist centers
Southern regions still struggle with:
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Funding shortages
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Older buildings
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Less efficient emergency networks
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Limited access to specialized surgery units
Impact on Patient Outcomes
These gaps influence:
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Mortality rates
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Complication rates
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Length of hospital stays
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Access to life-saving treatments
Agenas emphasizes that enforcing shared national standards is the most powerful tool to reduce this divide.
How Italy Is Improving Hospital Quality Standards
Better Monitoring, Centralization, and Training
Centralizing complex surgeries — especially cancer-related ones — has already improved outcomes dramatically. For example, breast cancer surgeries performed in high-volume centers rose from 72% in 2015 to 90% in 2024.
New Goals for 2026 and Beyond
Italy aims to:
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Further reduce cesareans
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Improve emergency response times
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Strengthen data quality
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Increase high-volume cancer surgery centers
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Reduce regional inequality
For additional reading on healthcare quality standards, you can explore the World Health Organization’s guidance here:
https://www.who.int/health-topics/universal-health-coverage
FAQs About the Best Hospitals in Italy
1. How are the Best Hospitals in Italy selected?
Agenas evaluates hospitals using eight clinical categories and hundreds of performance indicators.
2. Why are northern hospitals generally better ranked?
They tend to have stronger resources, better infrastructure, and more consistent governance.
3. What is the biggest issue affecting underperforming hospitals?
Delayed emergency care and high cesarean rates are among the most common problems.
4. Are private hospitals included in the rankings?
Yes, both public and private hospitals are evaluated.
5. How often is the hospital performance report updated?
The report is published annually.
6. Can patients choose to receive treatment in top hospitals?
Yes. In most cases, Italian citizens have the right to seek care outside their local region.
Conclusion
The Agenas 2025 report shows a mixed picture of Italy’s national healthcare system. While the Best Hospitals in Italy continue to push the standards of excellence, many others still struggle to meet minimum quality requirements. The nation is improving overall, but persistent regional disparities remain a major challenge.
Continued investment, stronger clinical governance, and adherence to unified national standards will be essential to ensure every citizen — regardless of region — receives safe, timely, and high-quality care.