Geographical variations in mortality and unemployment in Italy

Abstract

This work aims to offer a spatial analysis of municipal mortality for the whole of Italy in the period 2012-2016 and to assess whether the very large geographical differences in unemployment levels may be of help in explaining mortality differentials across the country. We find that the municipalities characterized by the highest unemployment rate, are also more likely to be at high risk of mortality. The effect seems to be stronger for women than for men. We suggest that when elaborating social indicators for evaluating the impact of unemployment on the well-being of a community, also its side effects on mortality should be taken into account.