In 2023, the share of inland waterways freight transport in Italy's total inland freight transport was nominal but steady. From 2024 to 2028, this share is forecasted to remain constant at 5.3%. Despite this stable outlook, there's no observed year-on-year variation or compound annual growth rate (CAGR) in the share over this period, indicating a plateau in the utilization of waterways for freight transportation.

Future trends to watch for include:

Potential policy changes or investments aimed at increasing the efficiency and capacity of inland waterway networks.
Environmental regulations that could encourage shifts from road to waterway transport.
Technological advancements that could lower costs or increase the speed of waterway freight transport.
Competition from other modes of transport, especially road and rail, potentially influenced by infrastructure developments or economic incentives.