You know what they are Italian cities where is it best to live? The answer to the question is not so obvious. Lately, the State published a detailed report dedicated to well-being in the main Italian metropolitan cities.
The analysis uses the indicators of the Bes of the Territories (BesT), statistical tools at provincial level that allow measuring different aspects of the quality of life, adapting them to territorial specificities and the needs of local policies.
The Istat report, therefore, offers a complete overview of well-being in major urban centres, comparing the 14 cities metropolitan Italian and delving into the domains relating to education, economic well-being, the environment and the perception of safety. Let’s see in detail what are the results of this report.
A new approach to measuring well-being
Let’s make a premise to understand how the Istat report took place. Thanks to the BesT indicators, the Istat report allows us to observe the evolution and differences in well-being among the main urban agglomerations, where 36.2% of the Italian population resides.
This analysis includes for the first time measures on help networks, perceptions of safety and personal satisfaction, data collected from the Permanent Census of the Population in Italy. Through these indicators, it is possible to obtain an updated picture of perceived well-being and objectively in key areas such as education, the environment, the quality of services, and social relations.
The most livable cities in Northern and Central Italy
The metropolitan cities of Northern and Central Italylike Milan, Florence and Bologna, are at the top of the ranking for quality of life. In particular, these cities stand out for their excellence in the sectors of innovation, research and quality of services, with over 75% of well-being indicators higher than the national average.
Turin, Genoa and Venice they follow with high scores, although slightly lower. Rome located in an intermediate position with 54.8% of positive indicators, however it highlights greater internal heterogeneity.
The ranking for the cities analyzed in Northern and Central Italy is as follows:
- Florence
- Milan
- Bologna
- Turin
- Genoa
- Venice
- Rome
The situation for the cities of Southern Italy
The metropolitan cities of Southern Italy show a more complex picture, with a percentage of indicators below the national average, especially in sectors such as the economy and public services. However, Cagliari represents a positive exceptionwith 61.3% of the indicators exceeding the national average, positioning itself even above Rome.
On the contrary, cities such as Reggio Calabria, Catania, Naples and Messina record high shares of disadvantage indicatorsover 70%.
The ranking regarding the South of our country:
- Cagliari
- Bari
- Palermo
- Messina
- Naples
- Catanese
- Reggio Calabria
The areas of analysis of the Istat report on the cities where people live best
The dominion of the environment represents a challenge for most metropolitan cities, with two-thirds of the indicators below the national average, indicating critical issues related to pollution and green areas. On the contrary, the dominion of “quality of services” it is the strong point for many cities, especially those in the North, which guarantee a network of high-level public and essential services.
In the education sector significant differences emerge between North and South, with greater availability of educational resources and better scholastic results in the cities of the Centre-North compared to the South. Milan, although generally positioned well, shows some deficiencies in educational resources compared to other northern cities.
As for the economic well-beingincome inequalities are particularly accentuated in northern metropolitan cities, where, however, average incomes remain higher than those in southern cities. At the top of the ranking in terms of disposable income is Milan, while in the South the highest average income is recorded in Cagliari.
The Istat report also includes new measurements on sense of security and on satisfaction for life. In general, people residing in metropolitan cities perceive a stable family help network, with percentages above 80% in all the cities examined. However, the perception of safety varies significantly, with Messina and Reggio Calabria at the top for the sense of tranquility in the evening hours, while Bari and Naples show lower percentages.
As for satisfaction with life, the territorial differences are marked: Reggio Calabria positions itself at the top of the ranking, while Naples ranks last.