Population Dynamics and Regional Social Security Sustainability in Italy

BONASIA M. and DE SIANO R. Population dynamics and regional social security sustainability in Italy, Regional Studies. Making due allowances for differences in demographics, the labour market and internal migration dynamics, this study analyses the sustainability of the Italian pension balance at a regional level. A worsening of the elderly dependency ratio and a decline in birth and employment rates have generated a negative trend, particularly for regions in southern Italy, characterized by early retirement and an increase in migration outflows. The suggestion is that a decentralized pension policy is not a Pareto- efficient solution because it would favour the sustainability of the pension balance in northern regions over those in the South.