Editing Vatican City (section)

== Economy ==
{{Main|Economy of Vatican City}}

[[File:Vatican City and St. Peter Square evening twilight aerial view.jpg|thumb|View of Vatican City in the evening.]]

The Vatican City State budget includes the [[Vatican Museums]] and post office and is supported financially by the sale of [[Postage stamps and postal history of Vatican City|stamps]], [[Vatican euro coins|coins]], medals and tourist mementos; by fees for admission to museums; and by publications sales.{{efn|1=The Holy See's budget, which is distinct from that of Vatican City State, is supported financially by a variety of sources, including investments, real estate income, and donations from Catholic individuals, dioceses, and institutions; these help fund the Roman Curia (Vatican bureaucracy), diplomatic missions, and media outlets. Moreover, an annual collection taken up in dioceses and direct donations go to a non-budgetary fund known as [[Peter's Pence]], which is used directly by the Pope for charity, disaster relief and aid to churches in developing nations.}} The incomes and living standards of lay workers are comparable to those of counterparts who work in the city of Rome.<ref name="economy factbook">{{Cite web |title=Holy See (Vatican City): Economy |url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/holy-see-vatican-city/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220126204237/https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/holy-see-vatican-city/ |archive-date=26 January 2022 |access-date=10 October 2010 |website=CIA – The World Factbook}}</ref> Other industries include printing, the production of mosaics, and the manufacture of staff uniforms.

The [[Institute for Works of Religion]] (IOR, ''Istituto per le Opere di Religione''), also known as the Vatican Bank, is a financial agency situated in the Vatican that conducts worldwide financial activities. It has multilingual [[automated teller machine|ATMs]] with instructions in [[Latin]], possibly the only ATM in the world with this feature.<ref name="Seans">{{Cite web |last=O'Malley, Seán P. |author-link=Seán Patrick O'Malley |date=28 September 2006 |title=A Glimpse Inside the Vatican & Msgr. Robert Deeley's Guest Post |url=https://www.cardinalseansblog.org/?p=232 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071020213924/http://www.cardinalseansblog.org/?p=232 |archive-date=20 October 2007 |access-date=30 January 2008}}</ref>

Vatican City issues its own coins and stamps. It has used the [[Euro]] as its currency since January 1999, owing to a special agreement with the [[European Union]]. Euro coins and notes were introduced on 1 January 2002 — the Vatican City does not issue [[euro banknotes]]. Issuance of euro-denominated coins is strictly limited by treaty. More coins than usual are allowed in a year with a new papacy.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Agreements on monetary relations (Monaco, San Marino, the Vatican and Andorra) |url=https://europa.eu/legislation_summaries/economic_and_monetary_affairs/institutional_and_economic_framework/l25040_en.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100327132038/http://europa.eu/legislation_summaries/economic_and_monetary_affairs/institutional_and_economic_framework/l25040_en.htm |archive-date=27 March 2010 |access-date=23 February 2007 |website=Activities of the European Union: Summaries of legislation}}</ref> Because of their rarity, [[Vatican euro coins]] are highly sought by collectors.<ref>{{Cite web |date=21 April 2006 |title=Benedict Vatican euros set for release |url=https://cathnews.acu.edu.au/604/100.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140911140958/http://cathnews.acu.edu.au/604/100.html |archive-date=11 September 2014 |access-date=25 September 2014 |website=Catholic News}}</ref> Until the adoption of the Euro, Vatican coinage and stamps were denominated in their own [[Vatican lira]] currency, which was on par with the Italian [[lira]].

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
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| [[File: 1 Cent-Vatican-Franciscus-Series 1.jpg|115px]]
| [[File:1€-Vatican Franciscus-Revers.jpg|1€-Vatican Franciscus-Revers|115px]]
| [[File:1€-Vatican-Benedikt XVI-Revers.jpg|115px]]
|}

[[Vatican euro coins]] with images of [[Pope Francis]] and [[Pope Benedict XVI]]

Vatican City State, which employs nearly 2,000 people, had a surplus of 6.7{{nbs}}million [[euro]]s in 2007. It ran a deficit in 2008 of over 15{{nbs}}million euros.<ref>{{Citation |title=Holy See's budget shortfall shrinks in 2008 |work=Christian Telegraph |url=https://www.christiantelegraph.com/issue6216.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110722045938/https://www.christiantelegraph.com/issue6216.html |archive-date=22 July 2011}} The report quoted deals mainly with the revenues and expenses of the Holy See and mentions only briefly the finances of Vatican City.</ref>

In 2012 the [[United States Department of State|US Department of State]]'s International Narcotics Control Strategy Report listed Vatican City for the first time among the nations of concern for [[Money laundering|money-laundering]], placing it in the middle category, which includes countries such as Ireland, but not among the most vulnerable countries, which include the United States itself, Germany, Italy, and Russia.<ref>Pullella, Philip (8 March 2012). [https://www.reuters.com/article/us-vatican-laundering-idUSBRE82710J20120308 "U.S. adds Vatican to money-laundering 'concern' list."] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210816203117/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-vatican-laundering-idUSBRE82710J20120308 |date=16 August 2021 }} Reuters.</ref>

[[File:Musei Vaticani. Braccio Nuovo.JPG|thumb|Vatican Museums' "New Wing", built by [[Raffaele Stern]] (1774–1820)]]

In February 2014 the Vatican announced it was establishing a secretariat for the economy, to be responsible for all economic, financial, and administrative activities of the Holy See and the Vatican City State, headed by Cardinal [[George Pell]]. This followed the charging of two senior clerics including a [[monsignor]] with money-laundering offences. Pope Francis appointed an auditor-general authorized to carry out audits of any agency at any time and engaged a US financial services company to review the Vatican's 19,000 accounts, to ensure compliance with international money-laundering practices. The pontiff appointed the [[Administration of the Patrimony of the Apostolic See]] as the Vatican's central bank, with responsibilities similar to other central banks around the world.<ref name="VaticanEconomicSecretariat">{{Cite news |date=25 February 2014 |title=Vatican financial system restructuring begins with new secretariat |url=https://www.theitalynews.net/index.php/sid/220216280/scat/145bb158ac2f80f2/ht/Vatican-financial-system-restructuring-begins-with-new-secretariat |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140720193128/https://www.theitalynews.net/index.php/sid/220216280/scat/145bb158ac2f80f2/ht/Vatican-financial-system-restructuring-begins-with-new-secretariat |archive-date=20 July 2014 |access-date=25 February 2014 |publisher=The Italy News.Net}}</ref>

In 2022 the Vatican planned to release [[NFT]]s of its museum collection.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2 May 2022 |title=The Vatican Will Create a NFT Gallery to 'Democratize Art' |url=https://www.artnews.com/art-news/news/vatican-nft-gallery-1234627189/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220505121235/https://www.artnews.com/art-news/news/vatican-nft-gallery-1234627189/ |archive-date=5 May 2022 |access-date=5 May 2022}}</ref>

=== Transport ===
{{Main|Transport in Vatican City}}

[[File:0 Gare du Vatican.JPG|thumb|The [[Rail transport in Vatican City|shortest national railway system]] in the world]]

The Vatican City has a reasonably well-developed transport network considering its size, consisting mostly of a piazza and walkways. As a state that is {{convert|1.05|km|yd|-1|abbr=off}} long and {{convert|0.85|km|yd|-1|abbr=on}} wide,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Holy See – State of the Vatican City |url=https://www.vatican.va/news_services/press/documentazione/documents/sp_ss_scv/informazione_generale/sp_ss_scv_info-generale_en.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100529155107/https://www.vatican.va/news_services/press/documentazione/documents/sp_ss_scv/informazione_generale/sp_ss_scv_info-generale_en.html |archive-date=29 May 2010 |access-date=28 November 2007 |publisher=Vatican Papal Conclave}}</ref> it has a small transportation system, with no airports or highways.

The only aviation facility in Vatican City is the [[Vatican City Heliport]]. Vatican City is one of the few independent [[List of countries without an airport|countries without an airport]], and is served by the airports that serve the city of Rome, [[Leonardo da Vinci-Fiumicino Airport]] and to a lesser extent [[Rome Ciampino Airport|Ciampino Airport]].<ref name="Sinfin" />

There is a [[standard gauge]] [[Vatican Railway]] and a [[Vatican City railway station]], mainly used to transport freight. It is connected to Italy's network at Rome's [[Roma San Pietro railway station]] by an {{Convert|852|m|yd|adj=mid|-long}} spur, {{Convert|300|m|yd|}} of which is within Vatican territory.<ref name="Sinfin">{{Cite web |title=Railways of the World |url=https://www.sinfin.net/railways/world/vatican/vaticanrail.html#Origini |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171010161429/http://www.sinfin.net/railways/world/vatican/vaticanrail.html#Origini |archive-date=10 October 2017 |access-date=8 August 2006 |publisher=Sinfin.net}}</ref> [[Pope John XXIII]] was the first pope to use the railway. [[Pope John Paul II]] rarely used it.<ref name="Sinfin" />

The closest [[Rome Metro|metro]] station is [[Ottaviano – San Pietro – Musei Vaticani]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Vatican Museums & St Peter's, Rome; getting there – |url=https://www.rometoolkit.com/whattodo/vatican.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180305202751/https://www.rometoolkit.com/whattodo/vatican.htm |archive-date=5 March 2018 |access-date=19 March 2018 |website=www.rometoolkit.com |language=en}}</ref>

=== Telecommunications and mass media ===
<!--linked from [[Template:Vatican City topics]]-->
[[File:Pay phone in the Vatican City.jpg|thumb|A pay phone in the Vatican City]]
The City<!--Referring to Vatican City, not city. Do not decapitalize.--> is served by an independent, modern telephone system named the [[Vatican Telephone Service]].<ref>{{Citation |title=On call 24/7: Vatican phone system directs thousands of call each day |date=24 July 2006 |url=https://www.catholic.org/international/international_story.php?id=20631 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121219033109/https://www.catholic.org/international/international_story.php?id=20631 |archive-date=19 December 2012}}</ref>

The Vatican controls its own Internet [[top-level domain]], which is registered as ([[.va]]). Broadband service is widely provided within Vatican City. Vatican City has a radio [[ITU prefix]], HV, and this is sometimes used by [[amateur radio]] operators.

[[Vatican Radio]], which was organized by [[Guglielmo Marconi]], broadcasts on [[Shortwave|short-wave]], [[Medium wave|medium-wave]] and FM frequencies and on the Internet.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2 September 2005 |title=Vatican Radio – Index |url=https://www.vatican.va/news_services/radio/index.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090503202313/http://www.vatican.va/news_services/radio/index.htm |archive-date=3 May 2009 |access-date=6 May 2009 |publisher=Vatican.va}}</ref> Its main transmission antennae are located in Italian territory, and exceed Italian environmental protection levels of emission. For this reason, the Vatican Radio has been [[Vatican Radio lawsuit|sued]]. Television services are provided through another entity, the [[Vatican Television Center]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Vatican Television Center – Index |url=https://www.vatican.va/news_services/television/index.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090503202319/http://www.vatican.va/news_services/television/index.htm |archive-date=3 May 2009 |access-date=6 May 2009 |publisher=Vatican.va}}</ref>

''[[L'Osservatore Romano]]'' is the multilingual semi-official newspaper of the Holy See. It is published by a private corporation under the direction of Catholic laymen, but reports on official information. The official texts of documents are in the ''[[Acta Apostolicae Sedis]]'', the [[Gazette|official gazette]] of the Holy See, which has an appendix for documents of the Vatican City State.

Vatican Radio, the Vatican Television Center, and L'Osservatore Romano are organs of the Holy See. They are listed in the ''[[Annuario Pontificio]]'', which places them in the section "Institutions linked with the Holy See", ahead of the sections on the Holy See's diplomatic service abroad and the [[diplomatic corps]] accredited to the Holy See, after which is placed the section on the State of Vatican City. In 2015, these organisations were brought together under the [[Dicastery for Communication]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Motu Proprio |url=https://www.comunicazione.va/en/chi-siamo/motu-proprio.html |website=www.comunicazione.va}}</ref>

=== Postal service ===
[[File:Poste Vaticane.jpg|thumb|The Vatican's post office was established in February 1929.]]

A [[Mail|postal system]] ([[Poste Vaticane]]) was created on 13 February 1929. On 1 August, the state started to release its own postal stamps, under the authority of the [[Philatelic and Numismatic Office of the Vatican City State]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Early Definitives |url=https://www.vaticanphilately.org/vc.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071211191109/https://www.vaticanphilately.org/vc.htm |archive-date=11 December 2007 |access-date=28 November 2007 |publisher=Vatican Philatelic Society}}</ref> The city's postal service is sometimes said to be {{qi|the best in the world}},<ref name="NYT">{{Cite news |last=Baker |first=Al |date=27 June 2004 |title=Hail Marys Not Needed: Vatican Mail Will Deliver |url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=950CEFDE1738F934A15755C0A9629C8B63&n=Top/News/World/Countries%20and%20Territories/Vatican%20City |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080101222204/http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=950CEFDE1738F934A15755C0A9629C8B63&n=Top%2FNews%2FWorld%2FCountries%20and%20Territories%2FVatican%20City |archive-date=1 January 2008 |access-date=28 November 2007 |work=The New York Times}}</ref> and faster than the postal service in Rome.<ref name="NYT" />

The [[Postal code#Country code prefixes|international postal country code prefix]] is ''SCV''. The postal code is ''00120'' – altogether ''SCV-00120''.<ref>"International postal code: SCV-00120."[https://www.vatican.va/news_services/press/documentazione/documents/sp_ss_scv/informazione_generale/sp_ss_scv_info-generale_en.html#Targa www.vatican.va]{{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100529155107/https://www.vatican.va/news_services/press/documentazione/documents/sp_ss_scv/informazione_generale/sp_ss_scv_info-generale_en.html#Targa |date=29 May 2010 }}[[Holy See Press Office]] – General Information. Retrieved 23 October 2009.</ref>

=== Healthcare ===
{{See also|Vatican Pharmacy|Bambino Gesù Hospital}}

=== Sustainability ===
The Vatican has implemented several environmental initiatives aimed to reduce its ecological footprint. Since 2008, the Vatican has expanded its solar energy systems, including the installation of photovoltaic panels at various locations such as the roof of the [[Paul VI Audience Hall]]. The city-state has introduced 35 electric vehicle charging stations to promote the use of electric vehicles and intends to gradually replace State-owned cars with electric vehicles.<ref>{{Cite web |date=16 November 2023 |title=Vatican launches sustainable mobility programme 'Ecological Conversion 2023' – Vatican News |url=https://www.vaticannews.va/en/vatican-city/news/2023-11/vatican-sustainable-mobility-programme-ecological-conversion.html |access-date=21 April 2025 |website=www.vaticannews.va |language=en}}</ref>

Well before the European Union's 2021 deadline, Vatican City successfully banned [[single-use plastic]]s in 2019, reducing plastic waste. The Vatican's waste management system has improved, achieving a recycling rate of 55 per cent for municipal solid waste, with a goal of reaching the EU standard of 70–75 per cent.<ref name="end sale of single-use plastics">{{Cite web |last=Glatz |first=Carol |title=Vatican City State set to end sale of single-use plastics |url=https://cruxnow.com/vatican/2019/07/16/vatican-city-state-set-to-end-sale-of-single-use-plastics/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190716230355/https://cruxnow.com/vatican/2019/07/16/vatican-city-state-set-to-end-sale-of-single-use-plastics/ |archive-date=16 July 2019 |access-date=17 July 2019 |publisher=Crus}}</ref> Energy-efficiency measures, such as installing [[LED lighting]] in St Peter's Basilica and transitioning to digital document management, have been implemented to reduce energy consumption and paper use. These efforts reflect the Vatican's commitment to the vision of Pope Francis's encyclical ''[[Laudato si']]'' and the Apostolic Exhortation [[Laudate Deum|''Laudate Deum'']].