entry Oct 2006
Demographics
of Naples
I don't know if I trust all these figures since, as
they say, 47% of statistics are made up on the spot. For
example, if there are only 50,000 extracomunitari
(those from outside the European community) immigrants
in Naples, why do I count more than that on any single
street on any single Saturday selling knock-off Rolexes
and Guccis? (I am wearing a fine Gucci timepiece,
even as we speak.) Anyway, I pass these numbers on as I
gleaned them from various sources in an attempt to
provide answers to common questions such as How many
people live here? How many immigrants are there? How
many unemployed are there? Hey, where is my
wallet? etc.
Naples: city and province
First of all,
the city of Naples is the capital and largest city in the
province of Naples, part of the Italian region of
Campania. The province of Naples is one of five in
Campania; the other four are Salerno, Caserta, Benevento,
and Avellino. Of the five, Salerno is the largest in area,
while the province of Naples has the largest population.
The province of Naples has a total population of ca. 3
million, with slightly more women than men. It is the
third most populous province in Italy after Rome and
Milan. The province of Naples has 92 comuni (towns
and cities with their own municipal administrations).
The city of
Naples, itself, has ca. 1,000,000 inhabitants with
slightly more women than men. Naples is the third largest
city in Italy (if you stay strictly within the city
limits) after Milan and Rome (Torino is fourth). The
population density of the city of Naples is about 8,500
inhabitants per square kilometer (c. 3,400 per sq mile). Cubic kilometer? You
don't want to know.
Within the city limits of Naples, there are 325,000 family
units and 350,000 dwellings. They tell me that there is a
housing shortage, so I can't figure that one out. There
are also more cars than people. The cars with no drivers
in them often drive better than the cars with drivers.
Although there
is no official "Greater Naples," that term may be
understood to comprise those towns that together with
Naples form a single, contiguous, pulsing, blob-like mass
of population. These other towns are Arzano, Casandrino,
Casavatore, Casoria, Cercola, Marano di Napoli, Melito di
Napoli, Mugnano di Napoli, Portici, Pozzuoli, Quarto, San
Giorgio a Cremano, San Sebastiano al Vesuvio. and Volla.
"Greater Naples," with a population of about 2.5 million,
is, then, smaller than the actual province of Naples. That
"greater Naples" area includes the densely populated
"Vesuvian communities" (with almost one million persons).
They sit there in the "red/must evacuate zone," plant
tomatoes and wait for the big one (tomato). The
demographic profile in the province is relatively young:
20% are under age 14, while 12% are over 65, compared to
the national average of 14% and 19%, respectively.
Economics
The economy
of the province is relatively weak compared to Italy as a
whole, placing only 94th out of the total of 103 provinces
in Italy in terms of GVA (Gross Value Added) that is,
wealth produced. Such statistics do not include wealth
generated by the so called "submerged economy" that is,
the black market and untaxed wages about which statistics
are difficult to find or even to make up. That's how
submerged it is.
Employment
Official
unemployment is astronomical in the city of Naples;
estimates run between 20% and 30%. Again, it is difficult
to calculate the wealth of the unofficial economy, which
is to say that a number of people who are out of work
still make a living somehow. Generally speaking, there is
currently a move away from the traditional agriculture
based economy in the province to one based on service
industries. In 2001 there were over 138,000 enterprises
operating in the province of Naples that employed about
595,000. In 2002 the companies registered in the Chamber
of Commerce Public Register of Naples came to
249,590. More than half of these are small enterprises
with fewer than 20 workers. As well, 70 companies are
mediumsized with more than 200 workers; and 15 have more
than 500 workers.
Immigration (also see
this link)
In Italy, at
large, there are ca. 2,300,300 legal immigrants in Italy,
amounting to about 4% of the population. In the city of
Naples, there are (as of December 31, 2003) about 12
thousand legal immigrants that is, those with official
permission to stay; there are estimated to be about 43
thousand illegal immigrants that is, without permission to
stay. The sex ratio among legal immigrants shows a slight
prevalence of women, explained by the relatively large
number of immigrant women who find work in Naples as
domestic helpers. Most extracomunitari
male workers tend to head north where industrial jobs are
easier to find.
to miscellaneous portal to top of this pageAbout the image (above): indeed, indirectly connected with demographics. One honest newsstand owner at Piazza del Gesu Nuovo proudly announces that no one has ever bought a winning ticket at his place. And that sure includes me.
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