Florence is the best and the worst of cities according to Il Sole 24 Ore.
Italy’s equivalent of the Financial Times or the Wall Street Journal publishes its Quality of Life survey every year, providing a snapshot of contemporary society based on statistical data for the country’s 107 provinces. Florence came sixth overall for its quality of life, down by three positions, performing well in the “open municipalities” category (for the public administration’s use of social media and communication) while faring worst in Italy for residential rental prices. Crime is the category that has caught the most attention, however, placing third in Il Sole 24 Ore’s crime rankings.
How safe you do feel?
Based on information provided by the Italian Ministry of the Interior, 59,953 crimes were reported in total in 2023, which equates to just over 6,000 reported crimes per 100,000 inhabitants. Theft was the main cause at 31,353 reported incidents, other non-specific crimes (7,554), online scams (7,307), damage to property (6,994), bodily harm (1,382), robberies (1,351) and threats (1,021). Pickpocketing has doubled in the last year (1,034 reported cases), causing Florence to be featured among the “blacklist”, following Milan (eighth overall in the Quality of Life survey) and Rome (35th).
Speaking to local reporters, Mayor of Florence Sara Funaro attributed the rise in crime to a spike in drug abuse. “Safety is a priority… There is a need to invest in social and public health policies.” In recent days, the city administration has introduced a ban on stores selling alcohol in certain “problematic” parts of Florence after 9pm and news had broken about plans to increase the police presence on the city’s tram network.
Florence is not the only city in Tuscany to be suffering from an increase in crime. Prato came seventh overall in the Il Sole 24 Ore crime ranking, while Livorno also rated poorly (tenth) for computer crime, contraband and bodily harm.
Udine in northeast Italy came top of Il Sole 24 Ore’s Quality of Life report, followed by last year’s winner Bologna, Trento, Aosta and Bergamo.
