Young people are leaving. And the few who remain aren't starting businesses. An alarming finding emerges from a report by the Confindustria Sardegna Research Center, which analyzes the decline in businesses led by under-35s and estimates the potential impact on the regional production system.
Between 2014 and 2024, the island lost over 4,600 youth-run businesses (4,646 to be precise), a 27% decrease: from 17,491 to 12,845 companies led by people under 35 .
The decline cannot be explained by the demographic crisis alone, because between 2019 and 2024 the Sardinian population between 15 and 34 years old decreased by 7.9%, while active youth businesses dropped by 17% .
And this, according to the director of the Andrea Porcu Study Center , is the most worrying point: "The regional system seems less capable of transforming the young demographic base into new productive initiatives. This means less turnover, less entrepreneurial energy, and a higher risk of weakening the economic fabric in the coming years ," he explains.
The trade sector recorded the greatest contraction, with 1,317 fewer companies than in 2018. The services sector is growing, with an 8% increase, which however does not compensate for the losses in other sectors, including primary sector , which remains the main area of presence of companies under 35 (3,188, 27.7% of the total).
This business deficit can be associated with a loss of annual production capacity of approximately €142 million, although it is emphasized that this figure should not be interpreted strictly as GDP, as part of the production capacity may have been absorbed by businesses employing over-35s or by other forms of employment. However, Confindustria explains, a 25 percent shortfall would be enough to exceed €35 million per year.
These data, the association insists, are a sign of a "weakening" of Sardinia's entrepreneurial fabric, which could have detrimental effects on employment, innovation, and regional governance . Startups continue to emerge, but they often stall before even addressing the challenges posed by the market.
