Strong depopulation, high unemployment rate, scarce infrastructural endowment, high production of alternative energies: the bleak picture even if with only one positive voice of the economic trend in the inland areas of Campania, included in the provinces of Avellino and Benevento. Examples of a South that remains behind on many fronts. All this emerges from the “Report on the Internal Areas of Campania, focus on Irpinia and Sannio”, promoted and edited by the Small Industry of Confindustria Campania.
The most alarming datum of the work – coordinated by Giuseppe Marotta, full professor of Agri-food Economics of the DEMM Department, of the University of Sannio – is the demographic one. Inland areas have lost more than 12,000 inhabitants in just one year. The province of Benevento has the highest depopulation percentage at the regional level, equal to 5.80% between 2015 and 2021. While the aging of the population continues unstoppable in both provinces.
High unemployment rate
At the origin of such a negative demographic trend, it is believed that there is the weakness of the labor market, especially as regards young people and women. The youth unemployment rate is 27% in Irpinia and 25% in Sannio against the Italian average of 17.9 percent.
Lack of infrastructure
Infrastructures are lacking especially in the Benevento area. The main extra-urban road network is concentrated around the capital, therefore provincial road mobility presents many problems, aggravated by the scarcity of public connections with the capital. Great expectations and prospects for improvement are linked to the implementation of the HS/HC project which will significantly improve the situation, with important economic and social effects, especially if it is possible to produce synergistic effects with the ZES areas and the logistic hubs of the Hirpinia station and Ponte Valentino .
Low diffusion of broadband
Even the Internal Areas of Campania, in line with the regional and national trend, are characterized by the slow race towards broadband and ultra-broadband digitization. Families not served are 9.6% in the province of Avellino and even 13.1% in the province of Benevento. Few are served with 1000 Mbps: 2.5 in Avellino and 0.8% in Benevento against 22.9 in Naples. in short, the spread of broadband and ultra-broadband is seriously lagging behind.