«In general, the incidence of the unobserved economy is very high in the South, where in 2022 it represents 16.5% of the overall added value, followed by the Center where the weight stands at 11.7%. Significantly smaller, and lower than the national average, are the shares achieved in the North-East and North-West, respectively, equal to 9.4% and 8.9%”. This is what we read in the latest Report on the unobserved economy and tax and social security evasion published by the Mef.
From the analysis of the impact of the various components of the unobserved economy (under-declaration, irregular work and other) on the added value in the regions, the relative weight of the three components is also confirmed at the level of geographical distribution: the impact of the added value generated by the under-declaration prevails everywhere, reaching the highest level in the South (7.7% of the added value), while the lowest level is recorded in the North-West (4.6%).
In the South, the share of added value generated by the use of irregular labor is also significant, standing at 6.2%. This incidence is equal to the national average in the Center (3.9%); lower, however, in the North-East and North-West where it stood at 3.0% and 2.9% respectively. At a regional level, the impact of the unobserved economy on added value varies between 19.1% in Calabria and 7.7% in the Autonomous Province of Bolzano.