The environment is increasingly at the center of the attention of Italians, and concerns about its future are felt. The latest Istat survey “Aspects of daily life“, Published today, he tells it, offering a detailed picture of the environmental anxieties that cross the country in 2024, highlighting lights and shadows of our relationship with nature.
What are the challenges that worry most? The data, updated to 26 February 2025, highlight how Environmental concerns are increasingbut also how Italians are becoming more aware and attentive to their consumer habits.
The climate at the top of the concerns
THE climate change The main restlessness for Italians are confirmed: the 58.1% of the population considers them a threat, a stable figure compared to 2023. A value that reflects the growing awareness of the effects of global warming, from increasingly frequent heat waves to extreme phenomena that have affected different regions of the country.
THE’air pollution follows on the wheel, worrying the 51.9% of citizens, with an increase of two percentage points compared to last year. Air quality is an increasingly pressing theme, especially in urban areas, where traffic and industrial emissions have heavily affect public health.
Waste disposal and water pollution
Next to the climate and air, waste management and water pollution also remain significant issues. About the 38% of Italians declare themselves worried about the production and disposal of wastewhile the 37.9% fears the degradation of rivers, lakes and seas. These data highlight a stable sensitivity compared to previous years, but also suggest the need to improve waste management and reduction policies.
Hydrogeological instability worries more and more
A growing figure concerns the hydrogeological instability: The 28.5% of the population considers it one of the main environmental threats, against 26.5% in 2023. The increase in landslides and floods, such as those that have affected theEmilia-Romagna And other regions, has brought more attention to this issue. Extreme climatic events, increasingly frequent, show the urgency of investments in the prevention and protection of the territory.
Noise and landscape, minor problems
On the contrary, thenoise pollutionthat electromagnetic and the deterioration of the landscape They are among the least felt concerns. Only one in ten person includes them among the five main environmental threats. This data could reflect a lower perception of the impact of these problems compared to more visible and immediate phenomena such as climate change.
Savings of energy and water: a good consolidated practice
If on the one hand environmental concerns remain high, on the other Italians show attention to the management of natural resources. In 2024, the 71.4% of the population declares to adopt behaviors to avoid waste of energywhile the 68.8% does the same with thewaterfall. Although slightly decreasing compared to 2023, these data confirm a widespread awareness of the importance of daily sustainability.
Italians attentive to savings
Despite the anxieties, Italians demonstrate a concrete commitment to sustainability. The 71.4% be careful ae the 68.8% A, even if there is a slight drop compared to 2023.
North and South: differences in sustainable behavior
The Istat survey also highlights some territorial differences in the ecological habits of Italians. In the Mezzogiorno, 29.9% of the population prefer to buy zero kilometer productsa choice that enhances the local economy and reduces the environmental impact of transport. Al Northon the other hand, there is greater attention to sustainable mobility: 51.3% of the inhabitants avoid a noisy guide to reduce noise pollution, while 20.2% use alternative means of transport to private car.
Attention to the environment translates into virtuous behavior that also vary on the basis of age, gender and level of education:
