Urban environment quality

Air quality continued to improve in 2014, as fewer provincial capitals (35, against 44 in 2013) exceeded the limit value set for PM10 (daily average) for over 35 days. The number drops significantly in the North area (from 32 to 24), where most of the cities involved are located, and to a lesser extent in the Centre (from 6 to 3), but increases slightly in the South and Islands (from 6 to 8).

In 2014, citizens of the provincial capitals submitted about 2,000 complaints to local authorities regarding noise pollution (11.2 every 100,000 inhabitants). The ratio is far lower among the 18 larger cities than in the other municipalities (8.5 against 15).

Motorization rate is still high in provincial capitals (613 motor cars every 1,000 inhabitants), even if it decreases for the third year in a row (it was 635 in 2011). However, the number of circulating motor vehicles remains substantially unchanged (about 14.8 million, equal to 715 vehicles per km2).

About 10 million tons of municipal waste were collected in the provincial capitals (same quantity of 2013, equaling one third of the whole national waste collection). Per capita values are much higher in the Centre (604 kg per inhabitant) than in the North (540) and in the South and Islands areas (508).

Consumption of potable water for household use keeps on decreasing: the amounts billed in 2014 equal 161 liters per inhabitant (4.0% less than the previous year).

Consumption of electric power for household use continues to decline (-7.3% in one year): in the provincial capitals it equals 1.056 kWh per inhabitant in 2014 (less than in 2000). Consumption of natural gas for household use drops down even more (-14.3%).