Abstract

During the last two years Istat and Cnel carried out an inter-institutional initiative for the definition of a measurement system of Equitable and Sustainable Well-being (called Bes after the Italian acronym). The initiative included all relevant stakeholders including the social partners, civil society organizations and scientific experts. «Bes» is composed by 134 indicators grouped into 12 domains. This paper offers a territorial analysis of the twelve domains highlighting differences among regions and among the different parts of the country. Bes' indicators confirm a gap between the north and the south of Italy under all twelve domains, with the exceptions of few environmental and security aspects which show a more articulated framework. The gap is particularly relevant for the economic and employment elements which due to the current economic crisis are diverging further. Less well known gaps are those referring to health conditions and social relationships, two aspects which proved to be very relevant as determinants of individual well-being.