Southern Italy has emerged as the country’s fastest-growing macro-region over the past 5 years, reversing a pattern that long placed the Mezzogiorno behind the Center-North. The expansion is significant, but analysts warn that much of it depends on temporary public programs and has not yet eliminated the South’s structural disadvantages.
Between 2021 and 2025, Southern Italy’s GDP increased by a cumulative 9.5%, compared with 7.1% nationwide and 6.6% in the Center-North. The South also maintained its advantage in 2025, growing by 0.7%, while both Italy and the Center-North expanded by approximately 0.5%.
