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Measuring the performance of Italian regions: on social and economic dimensions

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  • Cuffaro, Miranda

    (Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Faculteit der Economische Wetenschappen en Econometrie (Free University Amsterdam, Faculty of Economics Sciences, Business Administration and Economitrics)

  • Cracolici, Maria Francesca
  • Nijkamp, Peter

Abstract

This paper presents a new analytical framework for assessing spatial disparities among regions. On the premise that the analysis of a region’s performance cannot be limited solely to either economic or social aspects, the paper attempts to combine the material (i.e. economic) and immaterial (i.e. social) aspects of welfare and well-being in an integrated logical scheme. In this scheme the economic aspects of living standards are represented by various categories of consumption expenditure, whilst the social aspects are represented by appropriate indicators of health, education, labour market conditions, etc. The framework proposed is also appealing for convergence analyses over time. From a time perspective, introducing this joint socio-economic concept into the analysis of differences among countries allows one to disentangle the notion of convergence into its economic and social dimensions. An empirical analysis is conducted on the Italian regions for the period from 1980 to 2005. The empirical results obtained by Principal Component Analysis show that, on average, a high level of economic welfare may contrast with a high level of social well-being.

Suggested Citation

  • Cuffaro, Miranda & Cracolici, Maria Francesca & Nijkamp, Peter, 2007. "Measuring the performance of Italian regions: on social and economic dimensions," Serie Research Memoranda 0013, VU University Amsterdam, Faculty of Economics, Business Administration and Econometrics.
    • Handle: RePEc:vua:wpaper:2007-13
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    Cited by:

    1. Swati Sinha Babu & Soumyendra Datta, 2015. "Revisiting the link between socio-economic development and environmental status indicators—focus on panel data," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 17(3), pages 567-586, June.
    2. Gabriele Ballarino & Michela Braga & Massimiliano Bratti & Daniele Checchi & Antonio Filippin & Carlo V. Fiorio & Marco Leonardi & Elena Meschi & Francesco Scervini, 2013. "GINI Country Report: Growing Inequalities and their Impacts in Italy," GINI Country Reports italy, AIAS, Amsterdam Institute for Advanced Labour Studies.
    3. Cracolici, Maria Francesca & Cuffaro, Miranda & Lacagnina, Valerio, 2018. "Assessment of Sustainable Well-being in the Italian Regions: An Activity Analysis Model," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 143(C), pages 105-110.
    4. Maria Cracolici & Miranda Cuffaro & Peter Nijkamp, 2010. "The Measurement of Economic, Social and Environmental Performance of Countries: A Novel Approach," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 95(2), pages 339-356, January.
    5. Maria Francesca Cracolici & Miranda Cuffaro & Peter Nijkamp, 2008. "Analysis of Spatial Disparities by a Structural Equations Model," Tinbergen Institute Discussion Papers 08-058/3, Tinbergen Institute.
    6. Ayasrah, Tha'r, 2012. "The Social Economic Development Index: A New Measurement of Development," Jurnal Ekonomi Malaysia, Faculty of Economics and Business, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, vol. 46(2), pages 37-53.
    7. G. Madonia & M. Cracolici & M. Cuffaro, 2013. "Exploring Wider Well-Being in the EU-15 Countries: An Empirical Application of the Stiglitz Report," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 111(1), pages 117-140, March.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Socio-economic Well-being; Living standards; Consumption;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • P46 - Political Economy and Comparative Economic Systems - - Other Economic Systems - - - Consumer Economics; Health; Education and Training; Welfare, Income, Wealth, and Poverty

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