Is Italy switching from Windows to Linux?
Italy has taken partial steps. The Ministry of Defence planned to move about 120,000 PCs from Microsoft Office to LibreOffice to save an estimated €28 million over four years, and Linux is widely used on public-sector servers. No government-wide switch from Windows to Linux desktops has been reported.
- Announced
- Pilot
- Rolling out
- Widely deployed
Scope: Ministry of Defence (office software); public-sector servers. Updated Oct 6, 2026.
What operating system does Italian public sector use?
- LibreOffice
Replacing Microsoft Office in the Italian armed forces.
Italy’s Linux timeline
- 2004
Rome’s city council explores open-source email and file sharing on about 9,500 PCs.
- 2015
The Italian Army announces its switch to LibreOffice.
- 2020
The planned completion date of the 120,000-PC move.
What is still unclear
This is a general picture, not a measurement.
- Most sources are several years old; we could not confirm current adoption levels.
- The change covers the office suite, not the operating system.
Could Italy switch to Linux in the future?
What to watch next:
- A national digital-sovereignty strategy that names Linux desktops
- Further agencies following Defence
Sources
Italy: common questions
Is Italy switching to Linux?
Not as a country. Italy’s Ministry of Defence moved toward LibreOffice on about 120,000 PCs and Linux is common on public servers, but no government-wide desktop move has been reported.
Other countries
Want to try it yourself? Read how to switch from Windows to Linux.