Foggia ranks last in Italy in terms of consumption: in a year, people spent just €13,697 per capita. Milan tops the list.

In 2023, each citizen of the province of Foggia spent an average of 13,697 euros , less than half that of a resident of Milan , which in the same period recorded an average per capita consumption of 30,993 euros . The gap between North and South is certified by an analysis by the Guglielmo Tagliacarne Study Center – Unioncamere, which for the first time estimated Italian family consumption at the provincial level, also distinguishing between food and non-food products.

The capital of the Daunia region thus ranks last in Italy , preceded by Caserta (€13,890) and Agrigento (€14,020). At the other end of the scale, after Milan, are Bolzano (€29,146) and Monza and Brianza (€26,714).

Southern Italy penalized, but with faster growth

Southern Italy continues to face serious economic and social challenges , with the bottom 20 provinces in terms of per capita consumption all located in the South, with the exception of Rieti and Frosinone . The Southern average stands at €16,244 per capita , approximately 20.8% less than the national average ( €20,510 ).

Yet, it was precisely in the South that the strongest growth in consumption was recorded between 2019 and 2023 , with an increase of 15.7% , higher than the +14.4% of the North-West, the +12.7% of the North-East and the 11.3% of the Centre.

At the top of the ranking in terms of percentage increase we find Enna (+21%) , Caserta (+20.2%) , Isernia (+19.5%) , followed by various Sicilian areas such as Caltanissetta, Catania and Agrigento , the latter tied with Pavia (+18.2%) .

Food consumption: South leads the way but with greater vulnerability

The analysis highlights another key finding: in the South , food consumption accounts for much higher than in the rest of Italy. In 26 of 38 southern provinces , this figure exceeds 21% , while in the North it is never recorded.

According to Gaetano Fausto Esposito , general director of the Tagliacarne Study Centre, this reveals a “double vulnerability” : on the one hand, lower family incomes (around 25% less than the national average), on the other, spending concentrated on essential goods , particularly exposed to inflation and subject to frequent purchases , which ends up further eroding the real purchasing power of Southern families.

The North is the driving force of spending, but Trentino beats everyone per capita.

Lombardy alone concentrates 20% of the total consumption of Italian families, followed by Lazio (10.2%) , Veneto (8.9%) , Emilia-Romagna (8.6%) and Piedmont (7.6%) .

But if we look at the per capita data, Trentino-Alto Adige tops the list with 26,186 euros per inhabitant , followed by Lombardy (24,284 euros) and Emilia-Romagna (23,377 euros) .

Foggia lags behind: a warning signal for the region

The fact that Foggia ranks last in Italy is alarming. The high incidence of food expenditure, the low spending capacity, and the lack of "other" consumption—such as education, culture, and technology—suggest a structural fragility in the Capitanata region's socioeconomic fabric .

A gap that concerns not only the amount of money spent , but also the quality of the spending and, ultimately, the living conditions of thousands of families in the area.

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