Nearly 4,000 Italian municipalities are classified as inland areas – communities located far from urban centers and often separated from essential healthcare, education and transportation services. Together, they are home to 13.3 million people, or 22.6% of Italy’s population, compared with 45.6 million residents living in urban and more accessible areas.
Over the past 70 years, these territories have lost approximately 1.4 million inhabitants, while cities and surrounding urban centers have gained 12.8 million. Since 1951, 1 in 4 inland municipalities has experienced continuous population decline. The situation remains particularly serious in Southern Italy, where more than 36% of residents live in inland communities. In Northern Italy, the share is below 15%.
