Towards (spatially) unbalanced development? A joint assessment of regional disparities in socioeconomic and territorial variables in Italy

• Regional disparities in three sustainable development indicators were assessed in Italy.
• The average distribution of the three indicators was coherent across space at different spatial scales.
• Indicators' regional disparities showed a totally decoupled pattern.
• A high level of sustainable development corresponds to low regional disparities in the related index.
• Income and natural capital disparities are decoupled from the average level of the respective variables.

The present study assesses disparities in the spatial distribution of three indicators evaluating respectively economic growth (per capita value added), sustainable development (a sustainable development index composing 99 individual variables) and the quality of the natural capital (Environmental Sensitive Area Index composing 14 individual variables) in Italy. The analysis was carried out on three different geographical domains (3 divisions (north, central and south Italy), 20 administrative regions and 103 provinces) with municipalities as the elementary spatial unit. While the distribution of the three indicators was coherent across space, the coefficient of variation of the three indicators, taken as a proxy of regional disparities, showed a contrasting spatial pattern. Domains with higher average values of the sustainable development index showed a lower variability among municipalities, indicating a less divided territorial context. By contrast, income and natural capital disparities are decoupled from the average level of the respective indexes. Multivariate analysis identifies a north–south gradient reflecting the divide between competitive and economically-disadvantaged regions in Italy. Results provide an informative base to implement sustainability policies in countries characterized by persistent socioeconomic disparities.

Plot of Italian regions along the (sustainable) development – (environmental) degradation gradient (factor 1) and the natural quality – income disparities gradient (factor 2).Figure optionsDownload as PowerPoint slide