Italy has 7,896 municipalities, but the population distribution is far from uniform. The top 20 municipalities by inhabitants host over 20% of the national population. Rome alone exceeds 2.7 million residents, more than many entire regions.
Key Figures
Population Map
Italy's demographic distribution is visible at a glance: the North and coastlines concentrate most of the population, while the Apennine interior and islands are progressively emptying.
Italian Population Map
Each municipality colored by number of residents β zoom to explore
Top 20 Municipalities by Population
ISTAT data β resident population
Territorial Hierarchy
How is the population distributed among regions and municipalities? The treemap shows the hierarchy: each rectangle is proportional to population. Click on a region to explore individual municipalities.
Treemap: Italy β Regions β Municipalities
Size proportional to population β click for drill-down
Income vs Soil Consumption: The Italian Trade-off
A clear pattern emerges from the data: wealthier municipalities tend to have more built-up land. It's no coincidence β wealth concentrates in the Po Valley, which is also Europe's most urbanised area. Southern municipalities breathe easy but earn less. Each bubble: further right = wealthier, higher = more soil consumed, larger = more inhabitants.
Income vs Soil Consumption: The Trade-off
Each bubble is a municipality. X = average income, Y = soil consumption (%), size = population. Click a region to highlight.
3D Population Map
Each municipality becomes a three-dimensional column: the taller the column, the larger the population. The megalopolises β Rome, Milan, Naples β tower like skyscrapers over the plain of small villages. Drag to rotate the view.
3D Map: Population by Municipality
Column height proportional to population β drag to rotate, scroll to zoom
Who Grew, Who Vanished Since 1951
Census data tells 70 years of internal migration. Fonte Nuova (Rome) grew 5,500%, from 583 to 32,000 β a village turned commuter city. At the opposite extreme, Carrega Ligure lost 94% of its residents. The charts show the 15 municipalities with the most explosive growth and the 15 with the most dramatic emptying.
15 Fastest Growing Municipalities Since 1951
Population change % from 1951 census β top 15
15 Most Emptied Municipalities Since 1951
Population change % from 1951 census β bottom 15
Demographic Trends
Italy's demographic picture is evolving. Northern cities attract population from inland areas and the South, while many southern municipalities record constant demographic decline. The phenomenon of depopulation affects over 4,000 municipalities, almost all with fewer than 5,000 inhabitants.
On DatiItalia you can explore the demographic data of every municipality in the Demographics section and compare up to 4 municipalities in the Compare section.