From a spot in the national top ten in recent years to a dramatic fall to 36th place, Florence has reached its lowest position in the 2024 Quality of Life Rankings by Il Sole 24 Ore since 1995. This marks a sharp decline of 30 positions compared to 2023. Among Tuscany’s provinces, only Siena has bucked the downward trend, rising 15 places to secure 15th.
Key factors dragging Florence down include new indicators related to housing. The city ranks 105th for the number of monthly salaries needed to buy a home, 105th for rental costs, and 103rd for income inequality. Security and micro-crime remain significant concerns, with Florence performing poorly in categories such as muggings, street robberies, pickpocketing, and fraud.
Environmental risks also weigh heavily, with the province ranking 80th for landslide risks and 79th for flood risks. The local economy is under strain as well, evidenced by high rates of authorized furloughs (68th), business closures (65th), and bankruptcies (89th).
“This downward trend must not be underestimated,” commented Florence’s mayor, Sara Funaro.
Tuscany’s Regional Rankings
Florence’s struggles are mirrored across much of Tuscany, although Siena shines as a notable exception. Other cities show mixed results:
• Prato holds steady in 31st place.
• Pisa drops to 34th.
• Arezzo ranks 41st but stands out for women’s quality of life (2nd nationally).
• Grosseto rises to 56th, gaining 18 positions.
• Pistoia and Livorno climb to 61st and 62nd, respectively.
• Lucca and Massa-Carrara occupy 68th and 70th places.
Florence’s Key Weaknesses
Florence’s ranking declined in four of the six macro-categories evaluated:
• Wealth and Consumption: Dropped 13 places to 34th, highlighting the housing crisis.
• Justice and Security: Worst in the nation for micro-criminality.
• Demographics and Society: Fell to 27th, burdened by high levels of loneliness (90th) and antidepressant consumption (74th).
• Environment and Services: Slid to 15th, with setbacks in waste management (80th) and urban ecosystem quality (63rd).
The city retains some bright spots. It ranks 6th in Business and Work, and its cultural sector excels, securing 3rd in Culture and Leisure, boosted by strong digital engagement, sports facilities, and cultural offerings.
A Spotlight on Women’s Quality of Life
For the first time, Florence tops the rankings for women’s quality of life, driven by high scores in life expectancy (3rd), sports opportunities (4th), and a relatively small gender employment gap (7th).
Mayor Funaro acknowledged this milestone, saying, “We’ve started to crack the glass ceiling, but there’s still work to be done, particularly in engaging younger generations.”
Despite these successes, Florence’s overall performance paints a sobering picture, emphasizing the need for urgent action to reverse the trend in 2025.
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