A proposal for a composite index to measure distress in marginalized municipalities

Abstract

Over the years, the scientific community has increasingly emphasized the need to adopt a multidimensional approach to analyse and measure inequalities. This approach recognizes that inequalities are complex and multifaceted phenomena, involving interconnected components that span various dimensions. In the context of the proposed study, thanks to the availability of results from the Permanent Census of Population and Housing and information derived from other Istat sources, comprehensive analyses have been conducted on all municipalities across the national territory, utilizing data collected in the year 2021. These insights covered a range of factors including territorial characteristics, environmental conditions, demographic dynamics, and socio-economic indicators. Additionally, specific attention has been directed towards gender disparities, with the inclusion of variables that shed light on differential experiences and opportunities among diverse groups. Furthermore, some indicators have been tailored to account specific age groups, such as young adults and the elderly. Finally, the composite index Adjusted Mazziotta-Pareto Index (AMPI) and the Chisquared Automatic Interaction Detector (CHAID) have been calculated.

Subsequently, the study has been focused on municipalities that can be considered more disadvantaged in terms of access to basic public services (Inner Areas), in order to determine if similar trends occur throughout the national territory or if belonging to certain geographical areas represents an additional penalizing factor.