Young adults resident in Italy: a local-level analysis of characteristics and demo-social weakness

Abstract

Some territories in Italy have experienced a persistent population loss in recent decades. The decline, due to reduced births and emigration, has contributed to population ageing and depopulation in many areas. Italy is experiencing dejuvenation (degiovanimento) due to the decrease of young people, too. The study focuses on young adults (25-49 years). The aim is to highlight the differences across Italy when the focus is placed on the local level, by a synthetic index to measure the level of ‘demo-social weakness of municipalities (for young adults)’. Five demographic and socio-economic indicators on young adults resident in Italian municipalities are calculated. For each municipality, indicators are compared to the respective national values through the location quotients (LQ). From the combination of the LQ values, criticality profiles are identified and finally summarised in a single measure. The LQs and the synthetic index are represented on maps to allow for visual assessment and highlight territorial disparities. Other geographical peculiarities are included in the analysis to investigate which types of municipalities present more critical elements in the index of demo-social weakness of young adults in Italy. The results show that criticality is not solely linked to belonging to a geographical area or spatial peripherality: despite the presence of services, some municipalities are not immune to criticality, while others, even without essential services, show a positive demographic and social situation, suggesting the influence of factors other than distance from services alone.