Quality of life 2025: Milan and Bolzano dominate the ranking, but for the cities of the South the scenario is bleak

The 2025 edition of the survey by ItaliaOggi, Ital Communications and Sapienza University of Rome photographs an Italy that changes slowly, but remains divided. The survey is based on nine areas: business and work, environment, education, population, crime and safety, income and wealth, social security, health system, tourism and culture.

Milan once again stands at the top of the quality of life ranking, capable of imposing itself thanks to the combination of advanced services, high income, effective management of infrastructure and a particularly dynamic productive fabric. Immediately behind are Bolzano and a rapidly rising Bologna, which conquers third position.

The top ten positions tell a clear reality: those who invest in services, the urban environment and innovation continue to rise. Florence takes fourth place with a decisive leap, followed by Monza and solid capitals such as Trento, Padua and Verona. Emilia-Romagna stands out further with Parma and Reggio Emilia both in the top ten.

North-East and Centre: between confirmations and surprises

Just outside the top ten, other interesting stories emerge. Rimini and Ascoli Piceno gain over twenty positions, establishing themselves as areas in strong recovery. In Tuscany, Prato, Pisa and Lucca stand out, all experiencing significant growth.

In the Marche the situation is more multifaceted: the growth of Ascoli is accompanied by the slowdown of Ancona, overtaken by Macerata and Pesaro-Urbino. In Umbria, Perugia surpasses Terni, here too with better results than in the past. Overall, Central Italy records a slight but constant improvement, thanks to the strengthening of services and more balanced local policies.

A South that cannot bridge the gap

Despite some progress, the South continues to suffer. The provinces symbolizing the difficulties remain in the last positions: Caltanissetta closes the ranking, preceded by Crotone and Reggio Calabria. Naples, Palermo and Catania also remain in the queue, marking a situation of structural difficulty.

The exceptions are two areas that emerge as “happy islands”: Lecce and Cagliari, which are above the average in the South and demonstrate how investing in services, culture and liveability can give concrete results. Among all the provinces of the South and the islands, only L’Aquila manages to enter the group with an acceptable quality of life, rising to 56th position.

A less polarized Italy, but not happier

The survey experts underline how 2025 marks the start of a phase of slow consolidation. After years of shocks – economic crises, pandemics, inflation – the Italian provinces seem to have found a less unstable balance. The improvement concerns healthcare in particular, with almost all provinces growing in indicators linked to the health system.

However, the general picture remains less positive than it seems: the quality of life is considered good or acceptable only in 60 provinces out of 107, down compared to previous years. In other words, many territories improve, but without managing to reach the standards of the strongest. The result is a “compressed” average quality, with fewer excellences and fewer disasters, but also less momentum.