In the past they were often separated by more than a thousand kilometres, since the former was in the north and the latter in the south. Today the situation has not reversed, but it has changed compared to the past. The distance, for example, has shortened and is currently less than 500 kilometres, since the richest municipality in Italy, Lajatico (province of Pisa), is located in Central Italy, while the poorest one, Cavargna (province of Como), is located on the border with Switzerland. This situation is attributable to the fact that the 985 taxpayers residing in Lajatico in 2021 declared a total average Irpef income of 54.708 euros, the 94 present in the village of Cavargna, however, only 6.314 euros. To say it is the CGIA Research Office which analyzed the data of the Ministry of Economy and Finance referring to income tax returns for 2021.
Ours is a country which, being long and narrow, presents, also from the reading of the tax returns of its taxpayers, very marked differences with signs of "impoverishment" which unfortunately also affect the North: among the 50 "poorest" municipalities of the country , for example, as many as 11 are from the north. In the vast majority of cases we are talking about very small mountain realities that have experienced depopulation and a progressive aging of the remaining population in the last 30-40 years. However, Milan remains the richest provincial capital in Italy with 37.189 euros; practically double the 18.706 euros declared in Ragusa.
Given the limits of centralism that have certainly contributed to "divide" the country, it cannot be excluded that with a decisive acceleration towards differentiated autonomy, in a reasonably short time it will be possible to shorten the economic/social distances between the North and the South, but also between the rich and poor territories present in the same region.
The CGIA recalls that it should in any case be emphasized that these data do not include the income of subjects subject to a substitute tax or exempt from direct taxation (such as interest on capital income and income earned by applying the flat-rate tax regime) and from any supplements (citizenship income, single allowance, disability pensions, etc.). Obviously, these statistics also do not include the effects of undeclared work and tax evasion which in the most disadvantaged areas of the country often constitute a real "expedient" to economically support the weaker social groups in particular.
The richest Municipalities are in the Centre-North
After Lajatico, which among its inhabitants includes the tenor Andrea Bocelli, in second place among the richest municipalities we find Basiglio (MI) with a total personal income tax income of 49.325 euros, Portofino (GE) with 45.617 euros, Bogogno (NO) with 42.366 euros and Varenna (LC) with 42.254 euros. The first provincial capital that we see in the national ranking is Milan which is in 12th place with 37.189 euros. Monza follows at 33rd with 32.237 euros, Bergamo at 39th with 31.883 euros and Pavia at 57th with 30.606 euros. Lastly, among the provincial capitals of the Centre-North region, we see Bologna in 92nd place with 29.480 euros, Rome in 120th with 28.646 euros, Bolzano in 133rd with 28.473 euros, Florence in 186th with 27.636 euros, Trento in 255th with 27.059 euros, Turin at 290th with 26.840 euros, Genoa at 665th with 25.011 euros, Trieste at 680th with 24.962 euros, Aosta at 771st with 24.683 euros and Venice at 1.034th with 24.058 euros. In general, however, we can state with a high dose of certainty that the wealthiest taxpayers live in medium/large cities or in the hinterland municipalities of the latter.
The situation in the South
The richest municipality in the South is Sant'Agata li Battiati (CT) which, thanks to an average total Irpef income of 2021 euros in 28.055, allowed it to rank 152nd at national level. Still among the municipal administrations of the South, immediately after we see San Gregorio di Catania (CT) which with an income of 28.019 euros ranks 155th and Cagliari which with 26.985 euros ranks 266th in the national ranking. Finally, among the regional capitals, L'Aquila occupies the 1.202nd place with an income of 23.727 euros, Bari at 1.363rd with 23.427 euros, Potenza at 1.674th with 22.925 euros, Naples at 1.876th with 22.603 euros, Campobasso at 2.133rd with 22.239 euros, Palermo at 2.405th with 21.850 euros and Catanzaro at 2.519th with 21.685 euros.