From municipal centres to ultra-remote zones: foreign settlement patterns across Italy’s inner areas

Abstract

This paper explores the settlement patterns of foreign populations within Italy’s Inner Areas, as defined by the National Strategy for Inner Areas (SNAI). These areas characterised by increasing remoteness from essential services such as healthcare, education, and transport face structural challenges of demographic ageing, depopulation, and economic marginality. Using municipal data from the years 2003, 2013 and 2023, the analysis measures the foreign incidence (foreigners per 1,000 inhabitants) in the six SNAI municipal categories. Results show a generalised increase in foreign presence, particularly in municipalities classified as service centres, while remote and ultra-remote areas exhibit lower but growing trends. A Local Moran’s I spatial cluster analysis reveals that high-incidence clusters are concentrated in the North and Centre, whereas low-incidence clusters dominate in the South and Islands, highlighting persistent territorial disparities. The study confirms that foreign settlement patterns are closely linked to SNAI spatial hierarchies and service accessibility.