Italy is a world in the world. It is a very varied country, in which one can find, in various areas, excellence comparable to the most advanced areas of the planet, but also realities in a situation of marked fragility. In addition to being very complex, as shown by the data of the indicators on the quality of life of the Sole 24 Ore declined for children, young people and the elderly, the internal picture is also not obvious. On the one hand, contexts usually considered more positive and dynamic may show relevant limits in some dimensions. On the other hand, areas that are generally considered to be disadvantaged are not necessarily down on all indicators.
However, there is one aspect that unites the length and breadth of the whole peninsula, and that is the demographic crisis. Throughout the Italian territory, the incidence of young people has been below the European average for some time, therefore at one of the lowest levels on the planet. This process of “dejuvenation” started in the Center-North but is increasingly affecting the South as well. The southern regions have experienced a greater reduction in fertility than the national average during this century. Furthermore, the lower foreign immigration and the greater loss of inhabitants, because they move to look for better job opportunities elsewhere, weaken the young-adult population more than in the rest of the country. On the contrary, there are some realities in northern Italy that have been attractive to young people in the last decade, but continue to have a weak capacity for endogenous renewal.
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The case of the two Reggio
The relationship between indicators is also not taken for granted. In some areas, mainly in the North, fertility is higher where the presence of work-family reconciliation services makes it possible to choose to have children while working. In other areas, mainly concentrated in the South, fertility still tends to be associated with a traditional model of gender roles, thus being greater if women are not formally in the labor market and an informal welfare system revolves around them. A system that, however, is less and less attractive and efficient for the new generations, especially for the more dynamic and qualified component.
This helps to understand why the percentage of residents under 10 is on similar levels in Reggio Emilia and Reggio Calabria, but with the employment rate of women more than double in the first province compared to the second. Reggio Emilia is, moreover, at the top of the coverage indicator of childcare services, while Reggio Calabria is at the lowest positions.