The 2025 edition of the annual quality of life survey by Il Sole 24 Ore names Trento as the Italian province with the highest living standards. Second place goes to Bolzano, followed by Udine in third.
The survey evaluates 107 Italian provinces using 90 indicators grouped into six categories: wealth and consumer spending; business and work; environment and services; demography, society and health; justice and security; culture and free time.
Trento: a return to the top
Trento’s first-place finish marks a return to the summit for the province, which between 1990 and 2024 recorded two golds, three silvers and nine bronzes across the history of the survey.
Its 2025 success builds on earlier seasonal wins: this year Trento already topped both the “Sportività” index and the “Ecosistema urbano” ranking both of which feed into the overall quality-of-life score.
According to a recent national survey published in May 2025, 61.9% of residents in Trento and Bolzano declare themselves satisfied with their living conditions — the highest level recorded in Italy.
A Northern-dominated top 10
The full 2025 top 10 is dominated by northern and north-eastern provinces:
- Trento
- Bolzano
- Udine
- Bologna
- Bergamo
- Treviso
- Verona
- Milan
- Padua
- Parma
Among these, Bologna rises to fourth place after climbing several positions compared with previous years; Treviso makes a striking leap of 18 places; Padua returns to the top ten after a 30-year absence; and Milan appears in the top ten again.
Persistent North–South divide
As in past editions, the ranking confirms a strong divide between northern and southern Italy. The southern provinces continue to occupy the bottom positions. Once again, Reggio Calabria sits last for the second consecutive year, while Naples appears among the bottom provinces — specifically at 104th position.
The strong showing of Trento, Bolzano and other northern provinces reveals the enduring role of territorial balance in Italy: economic opportunity, public services, safety, environment and social wellbeing remain concentrated in the North. For families, workers, retirees or those seeking quality of life, this ranking offers a clear data-based snapshot of where the overall conditions are most favourable.
At the same time, the persistently poor performance of many southern provinces underscores structural inequalities that continue to challenge national cohesion and the equal distribution of wellbeing across Italy.
As the index draws on 90 indicators across multiple dimensions, its outcome reflects not only short-term economic conditions but long-term investments in infrastructure, social services, environment and community resilience.
The full 2025 ranking once again confirms: for now, in Italy the promise of quality of life finds its strongest voice in the Alpine North.
