Italy includes cocaine, prostitution and black market alcohol in GDP figures (The Independent):
The Italian government has announced it will include revenues from prostitution and illegal drug sales to its gross domestic product (GDP) figures.
The change in methodology complies with new EU rules requiring member states to record the value of all activities that produce income, including the “production and consumption of drugs”, prostitution and black market alcohol and cigarette sales.
The move could boost the country’s finances by as much as 2 per cent, according to the European statistics office, Eurostat, and help Prime Minister Matteo Renzi tackle the country’s deficit.
Looks like the economic recovery of Italy is really going well so far.
(Picture CC Daniele Devoti)
