Italy: Italian beauty is worth 74 billion euros, on the decline

Rome, 12 July (AKI) - Italian beauty has a value - 74 billion euros a year - but it is shrinking, according to a new study.

Italy's beauty encompasses a wide array of categories including art and fashion, according to the Censis research agency and employees 1.37 million.

But beauty in the county that gave the world the Renaissance and Versace is in decline. In 2000 Italian beauty was worth 82 billion euros, giving jobs to 1.45 million. Beauty made up 6.1 percent of Italy's entire economic output. Last year it was 5.4 of the Italian gross domestic product, the study said.

Italy commonly calls itsself the 'bel paese' or 'beautiful country."