A region boasting excellent quality of life and widespread social cohesion

Emilia-Romagna is one of Italy's leading regions in terms of per capita income and for many years has been classified as one of the richest regions in Europe. Emilia-Romagna also ranks amongst the top regions in Italy for bureaucratic efficiency and quality of life.

Small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are the driving force of the region’s economy and have fostered the extraordinary spread of wealth across the entire regional territory. The dynamic nature of the production sector in Emilia-Romagna has resulted in high employment levels; indeed, employed inhabitants amount to over 68%, considerably higher than the Italian average.

According to the 2016 Smart City Index and 2016 iCity Rating, Bologna is a top smart city and all of the region’s main towns rank among the top 30 on a national level, out of more than 100 Italian towns and cities.

Both these indexes consider indicators such as the economy, governance, broadband coverage, mobility, innovation, the quality of life and the green economy.

Emilia-Romagna ranks first in Italy and third in Europe – behind the Netherlands and Switzerland – for the quality of its healthcare services.