Sardinia's GDP is growing, as is employment, also and above all thanks to the "key sector" of tourism . But the Island continues to deal with an "unstoppable" demographic decline and with the Italian record of patients giving up medical services due to delays and critical issues in the health system.
These are some of the data contained in the 32nd “2025 Economic Report of Sardinia” , edited by Crenos (the North-South Economic Research Centre of the Universities of Cagliari and Sassari) , presented today.
LIGHTS AND SHADOWS – On the Gross Domestic Product front, in 2023 «our estimates of GDP per inhabitant – the report states – show a growth of 1.1% on the 2022 figure, in line with the national average (+0.9%)». But, the report continues, «the income gap with the northern regions remains deep: the GDP per inhabitant is equal to 21,821 euros in Sardinia, against 37,497 in the North-West regions and 35,412 in the North-East». Again: «In 2023, the GDP per inhabitant of Sardinia is equal to 72% of the Union average (Italy 98%); the Island is 169th out of 242 regions, an improvement compared to the previous year but still in the “less developed regions” group from the point of view of the distribution of European funds for cohesion policy».
CONSUMPTION – «Household consumption in 2022 – continues the Crenos analysis – indicates an expenditure per inhabitant of 15,518 euros (our estimates), relatively stable compared to the previous year (+0.4%, in line with the national figure of +0.6%). Consumption of services is increasing (for housing, health, transport, communications, but also accommodation and catering and also attributable to tourism demand), which grows by 4.3%, while purchases of food, personal or home care products and medicines are decreasing (-4.2%). Expenditure on goods with multi-year use (furniture, cars, household appliances, clothing, footwear and books) is substantially unchanged».
EMPLOYMENT – As for employment, «the workforce between 15 and 64 years of age grew by more than 0.6%, reversing the trend of the previous two years, driven above all by the increase in participation in the labor market by women. The number of employed people increased by more than 14 thousand units, significantly for both genders, bringing the employment rate to 57.7% (62.2% in Italy). Unemployment fell by 16.6% (with 53,236 unemployed), a reduction of more than two percentage points higher than the national average, bringing the overall unemployment rate to 8.3% (6.5% in Italy), with unemployment rates among graduates practically in line with the rest of the country.
DEMOGRAPHIC WINTER – The researchers also underline the «structural criticalities» of Sardinia from a demographic point of view: «In 2024 there were 7,037 births and the birth rate dropped to 4.5 births per thousand inhabitants. This is the lowest value in Italy, where there are 6.3 births per thousand inhabitants, which in turn is last among the nations of the European Union (EU average: 8.2).
2024 is the second year in which there has been a decrease in the number of deaths compared to the very high values of previous years, but the deaths, equal to 18,449, remain high: the mortality rate for Sardinia, substantially unchanged in the last year (11.8 deaths per thousand inhabitants), increases its distance from the Italian figure (equal to 11), decreasing».
WAIVER OF CARE – Health Chapter: «In 2023, public health spending in Sardinia grew, reaching 3.8 billion euros. Per capita spending (2,421 euros per inhabitant) increased by 2.5% compared to 2022. However, in relation to GDP, spending fell from 9.6% to 9.2%. On the Essential Levels of Assistance (LEA) front, the Sardinian Regional Health System reached the minimum compliance threshold of 60 points for the first time since 2019 in all three macro-areas: prevention (65), district (67) and hospital (60). However, a structural criticality remains regarding the renunciation of treatment: with a rate of 13.7%, Sardinia remains the region with the highest value in Italy, a negative record that it has held since 2017. The gender gap is also evident: in 2023, Sardinian women showed a probability of renouncing treatment that was 30% higher than male patients".