According to the National Observatory for Italy’s Regional Health, a resident in the northern province of Trentino can typically expect to live three years longer than someone living in the southern region of Campania, while completing a higher education adds up to five years to your life expectancy. 

Examining national health data, the observatory discovered large differences in average life expectancy between the south, where men generally live to 79.8 years and women to 84.1, and the north - especially the north-east - where people live longer on average than in any other part of Italy: 81.2 years for men and 85.6 for women.

The gap becomes even more evident when you compare the two extremes: Florence, Italy’s longest-living province with an overall life expectancy of 84.1, has nearly four years on Caserta or Naples, the two provinces at the bottom of the scale where residents can expect to live to 80.1. 

The wealthier north of Italy, where much of the country's industry, finance and commerce is based, consistently beats the south in almost every measure of quality of life. 

That said, education can prove an even bigger indicator than geography, the study showed.

Nationally, men with a university degree can expect to live to 82; for men with only basic education, the figure drops to 77.

For women, it’s 86 and 83 years respectively.

People without a higher education were also more likely to have at least one serious chronic health condition.

The observatory said the inequalities were “too pronounced” and spoke to failings in Italy’s health policies.

“The goal of creating the National Health Service, as well as looking after people’s health, was to overcome the regional imbalances in the nation’s social and health conditions,” scientific director Alessandro Solipaca said.

“But on this front the data testifies to the substantial failure of the policies adopted.”

The study recommended reconsidering the way funding for health services is allocated regionally, as well as increasing efforts to reduce poverty and tackle tax evasion, which robs the state of much-needed resources.

It also emphasised the importance of strengthening the national health system rather than taking measures that would favour private insurance.

Despite Italy’s problems, the observatory pointed out that its health gap between graduates and non-graduates is smaller than in many other European countries that require residents to pay for health insurance.

By this measure of health equality, Italy is second only to Sweden and ahead of wealthier countries such as Finland, Norway, Denmark and Germany.

With ANSA/THE LOCAL it.