40 billion with criminal offenses The mafia makes as much turnover as top corporations

According to a new study, the Italian mafia generates around 40 billion euros more turnover than large corporations. If it were a company, it would rank fourth in Italy.

According to a new study, the mafia generates an annual turnover of 40 billion euros in its home country of Italy - comparable to large European corporations. This corresponds to around two percent of Italy's annual gross domestic product (GDP).

The most important sources of income for organized crime include drug trafficking, prostitution, real estate transactions and the extortion of protection money.

The calculations of the CGIA trade association are based on data from the Italian central bank. The study also draws a comparison with large Italian companies: If the mafia were considered a corporation, it would be in fourth place nationwide.

Experts: 150,000 companies with links to the mafia

According to the study, around 150,000 Italian companies are involved in organized crime, mainly in large cities: more than 18,000 in Naples, more than 16,000 in Rome and more than 15,000 in Milan. There are also several thousand such companies in smaller cities such as Caserta near Naples, Palermo in Sicily or Bari in the Apulia region in the south.

There are various branches of the mafia in Italy. The clear number one is the 'Ndrangheta from Calabria. Other criminal organizations are the Cosa Nostra from Sicily and the Camorra from Naples. All three have many international connections. The worldwide turnover of the 'Ndrangheta alone is estimated at more than 50 billion euros per year. According to experts, the cocaine business in Europe is largely in their hands.