Family income, Trieste and Vicenza are advancing

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Although the growth levels of disposable income in the North-East were particularly appreciable, they were affected more than elsewhere by the pandemic. This is the main finding that emerges from the latest regional and provincial assessments of the disposable income of consumer families released by the Study Center of the Guglielmo Tagliacarne Chambers of Commerce and Unioncamere. Between 2019 and 2022 this aggregate grew in nominal terms in the North-East by 7.6%, compared to the national average of 8.2% and 9.1% in Lombardy and the South and was largely influenced by a rather small growth in gross wages. The slow growth also led to a reduction in the advantage that the area enjoyed compared to the national average in per capita terms which went from +11% in 2019 to 9.9% in 2022. The gap in 2022, moreover, was evident already in 2020. This means that the North-East was the area most penalized in the peak year of the pandemic (2020) and that after the pandemic the growth of the North-East was equivalent to the national average. The trend between 2019 and 2022 was in fact totally identical in the three regions that make up the area, but within the individual regions important elements of variability can be highlighted. In particular, the comparison between the two autonomous provinces clearly favors the Trentino area which achieved growth of 8.7% compared to an increase of 7% in Alto Adige. Similarly, very different development rates are simultaneously present in Veneto, with +9.5% in Vicenza and Rovigo and +4.3% in Venice (seventh province with the lowest growth rate). While Friuli-Venezia Giulia hosts the fifth most dynamic Italian province (+12.5%) and the eighth least dynamic (Gorizia, +4.9%). In general, the per capita level of disposable income in the North-Eastern provinces is good almost everywhere. In fact, there are only two provinces that are placed in the second half of the ranking based on this indicator as well as below the national average. These are Rovigo which, despite its recent performance, has not moved from 70th place in 2019 and Gorizia 61st, which loses 8 places compared to 2019. The other eleven places are instead all in the top part of the ranking even if on average their positioning has worsened compared to 2019. And in particular the lackluster performances described above were detrimental to Venice (37th place, down nine positions compared to 2019), while the propulsive push observed in Trieste and Vicenza allowed both of them to achieve important goals. The Julian capital can celebrate eighth place, thus becoming the second province in the area in the top ten together with the now consolidated Bolzano/Bozen (second for several years now). Vicenza can instead celebrate the achievement of 18th place in the ranking which allows it to be the best Venetian province, overtaking Verona