The history of the Italian pension system until 1992 In this article, the origin and main developments until the reforms (in the 1990s) pension systems in Italy are discussed. It is an area symbolized by frequent changes in systems. Pension systems did not have a clear vision of how to properly address the problems that arose. This was also due to politics. For example, from 1922 until the end of World War II, Mussolini ruled the country with his fascist ideas. The first republic (1946 to 1992) had to clean up the damage caused by war and in the years that followed, politics was marked by social conflict and political instability. In 2004, during Berlusconi's second term as prime minister, there were 59 governments in office since World War II. The average length of government since then was therefore less than a year. The first pension schemes were created for civil servants in the second half of the 19th century. A voluntary pension scheme for private sector employees, intended to provide old age and disability benefits, was introduced in 1898 and made compulsory in 1919 (Franco, 2001: 5), under which employees had to pay via a payroll tax. Benefits were calculated on the basis of contributions paid. This capitalization scheme was created and supervised by the INPS (National Institute of Social Security). In 1942, survivors' benefits were included in the plans. The plans had to evolve towards a pay-as-you-go system after the Second World War. This was due to the effects of inflation and the use of pension fund assets to support public finances (Franco, 2001: 5). The transition was completed in 1952, when new rules were finally introduced, at the same time as a guaranteed minimum pension level was also introduced (Brugiavini and Galasso, 2003: 11). In the rest of the fifties, nothing worth mentioning happened. Seniority pensions, which can be received at any age provided that the worker has a minimum contribution period, were introduced in 1956 for public sector employees and in 1965 for private sector employees. and self-employed workers (Franco, 2001: 5). These seniority pensions have proven to be very costly. Public pension coverage was extended to the self-employed, disabled workers (in 1966), and low-income elderly people in 1969. In 1969, retirement benefits for private sector employees began. be calculated on the basis of earnings (final career salaries) (Brugiavini and Galasso, 2003: 12). As a result, the distribution of income between workers and retirees has recovered. At the same time, pension schemes have broadened their social reach