Equitable and sustainable well-being indicators: A study of Italian regional disparities towards sustainable development

Sustainable development serves as a guiding principle for societies aiming to progress beyond purely economic measures of well-being. This paper constructs a composite indicator based on the framework of equitable and sustainable Well-being (BES), integrating 105 indicators for Italian regions over the period 2018-2022. The results show that the provinces of Bolzano and Trento led the ranking. Regionally, those in the north scored highest in 2022 (0.603), followed by those in the central region (0.556) and south (0.404). Disaggregated data on the 12 BES dimensions highlighted specific areas for policy intervention. The results advocate for a pragmatic, non-ideological approach to sustainability, asserting that Italy's competitive advantage (i.e., the "Made in Italy" program) is not contingent on territorial differences, but on provinces' relative ability to leverage and integrate their unique attributes on a global scale.