«Sardinians are getting older and pensions are getting lower»: the INPS report

After the "photograph" of Istat, which in recent days has highlighted how Sardinia is increasingly "losing" its young people , with families having fewer and fewer children and with the phenomenon of emigration becoming ever more topical, here comes today a new focus, this time from the INPS , to underline the many critical issues facing the island from a socio-demographic point of view.

In the latest report from the Social Security Institute, it is highlighted in particular how the Sardinians are indeed one of the longest-lived peoples in the world, but - on the other hand - how this also means a now constant aging of the population, with around 26% of residents in the over 65 age group and, above all, with a ratio between deaths and births that in the last decade has gone from +22% in 2011 to +128% in both 2020 and 2021.

Not only that: the dossier also highlights the progressive "depletion" of the population, 48% of which are concentrated in the Cagliari area, and the rest "pulverised" across a territory which by extension represents the third largest Italian region.

The 2022 regional social report created for Sardinia by the INPS regional management was presented in Cagliari. «The analysis shows us a Sardinian context that is very different compared to the other regions of Italy, in some ways more difficult - explains the regional director for Sardinia Francesco Ciro Di Bernardo on the sidelines of the public presentation - and this requires an effort from INPS different from other areas, where the concentration of the population is greater". «This means – adds Di Bernardo – many pensions and many disability benefits . And, precisely for this reason, INPS's activity must be adapted to the Sardinian context, guaranteeing homogeneity of treatment among all citizens, be they Sardinian, Campanian or Lombardy".

Returning to the data , in Sardinia almost a third of the population receives some type of pension: there are 426 thousand IVS pensions (disability, old age, survivors) and 125,397 civil disability benefits being paid. But here too, Sardinian pensioners are different from the rest of Italy: the island records significantly lower amounts than the national average.

«This arises from the basic socio-economic and productive context - explains Di Bernardo - we are in a region in which a high percentage of productive activity is generated by the artisan or agricultural sector, with many micro companies with one to nine employees and almost often with inferior ."

As for the labor market and social safety nets, the data for 2022 reflect the exit from the health emergency: increasing gross domestic product, a reduction in the unemployment rate and a strong reduction in spending on the redundancy fund. «A more in-depth analysis of the data allows us, however, to highlight some specific features - concludes the INPS regional director - such as the Region's GDP per capita, which, despite the growing trend, remains lower than the national average».

In detail, the Region also underlines in a note, "the GDP per capita (2021) estimated at 21,745.53 euros is lower than the national figure which stands at 28,521.00 euros".

Furthermore, explains Villa Devoto, «from the comparison with the national GDP trend for 2021, the Gross Domestic Product of Sardinia, equal to 32,141 million euros, currently represents 1.91% of the national one».

«The INPS report offers a complete picture of the work of the Institute, our faithful and precious ally, of its mission and of the results obtained», comments the governor Christian Solinas . Adding: «A complex activity that has a historical significance, not only for the size of the data, but for the type of interventions and social effects produced, in relation to the beneficiaries of social security and welfare benefits, the business system and self-employment , to the associations and all the institutions involved, such as the Region and the ANCI".

«The hope - continues Solinas - is that "giving an account" will increasingly become a common "realising" that only through synergistic and co-responsible political action and the construction of a network of relationships, experiences and professionalism, will we be able to contribute to offering a service and support that is increasingly responsive to the needs and requirements of our people."

As regards the employment trend, the Region then highlights, the report finds a positive balance between hirings and terminations in the years 2021 and 2022, both at regional level and for individual provinces . There is a growing trend in 2022 compared to the previous year, which embraces all genders and all types of contracts, with an overall growth of over 20,000 units during the period considered (going from 256,570 workers in 2021 to 277,317 workers in 2022) .

Furthermore, the employment rate in Sardinia recorded an improvement in 2022, moving to 46.8% compared to 45.9% in 2021 while remaining below the national value, which for 2022 stands at 52.2%.

«As the Sardinia Region and as a Department - comments the regional councilor for Labor Ada Lai - we have done our part to respond to the crisis, providing post-Covid compensation for over 180 million euros; but the real anti-crisis measure are the active policies aimed at employment: from the "Sal Lavoro" tenders for companies in the tourism sector, to job sites, a driving force for the local economy, up to training aimed at job placement ».