The Tecnè survey for Magna Carta

Inland areas: 8 out of 10 young people are keen to stay, with a focus on e-learning and digital training

79% say they feel very or quite attached to the local area, and 64% rate the quality of life in their municipality positively

by Pietro Menzani

19 June 2026

4' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

4' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

For 8 out of 10 young people in the inland areas of Abruzzo, Marche and Umbria, new technologies – including artificial intelligence – can help drive economic development and promote tourism in the region. And this figure rises to 82 per cent in the municipalities affected by the 2016 earthquake. But that’s not all. 76 per cent of under-35s consider e-learning a useful tool for studying without having to leave the area. This is revealed by the survey ‘Young People in Vulnerable Areas’, carried out by Tecnè for Fondazione Magna Carta, the centre-right moderate think tank chaired by former minister Gaetano Quagliariello.

A sense of belonging to the local area

The study shows that, despite the difficulties associated with living in remote areas such as those of the central Apennines, young people have strong ties to their local area.

In the Cratere earthquake zone, the highest levels of local roots can be observed, to the extent that 67% of young people study or work in the municipality where they live – 7% more than the average – and most of them believe that in ten years’ time they will be living in a situation similar (42%) or better (42%) than today. The report shows that 6 out of 10 young people would invest in their own municipality by setting up a business or enterprise, a figure that rises to over 65% among those aged between 30 and 34.

Digital training and tourism

From the perspective of young people from these areas, the key to stemming the brain drain is to invest in new technologies. According to the Tecnè study, 65 per cent of them would, in fact, use digital platforms for vocational training, whilst 40 per cent consider digital training a priority for retaining skills in small towns. The University of L’Aquila plays a crucial role, having seen its student numbers grow by more than a quarter between the 2018–2019 and 2024–2025 academic years.

Tourism and social infrastructure also play a crucial role in persuading young people to stay. 67% of those surveyed consider small towns to be an important asset for the growth of Italian tourism. 65% see cultural tourism as the most suitable way to showcase the unique characteristics of the Apennines.

social infrastructure is also considered essential by young people, and the picture that emerges from the report is encouraging: only 4 per cent of those surveyed in the three regions involved stated that there are no sports facilities in their local area, a figure that falls to 2 per cent in the Cratere area. Furthermore, 42% consider the provision of sports facilities for young people in inland areas to be adequate, whilst 44% hold the same view in the municipalities of the ‘Cratere’ earthquake zone.

The obstacles

“Research into the younger generations in the Central Apennines,” says Guido Castelli , the Special Commissioner for Reconstruction following the 2016 earthquake , “confirms that young people have not stopped believing in their local areas. The bond with their communities of origin remains strong, but turning this into a way of life requires skilled employment, training, services, transport, connectivity and business opportunities.”

In fact, 79% say they feel very or quite attached to the local area, 64% rate the quality of life in their municipality positively, whilst 55% see inland areas as a strategic asset for Italia.

However, there remain numerous obstacles to the full professional and personal fulfilment of young people in inland areas: for 74 per cent of them, the main constraint is the lack of job prospects, a situation which has led 65 per cent of those surveyed to have considered moving elsewhere at least once, a figure that falls to 48 per cent among those aged between 30 and 34.

The mayor of L’Aquila Pierluigi Biondi explains that ‘inland areas cannot be regarded as the periphery of development. Young people stay where they find opportunities, services, transport links and prospects for the future’.

‘Investing in knowledge and innovation’

According to Quagliariello, ‘at first glance, there is nothing wrong with the desire to move abroad: the mobility of human capital is an intrinsic feature of open, knowledge-based economies. Students, researchers and professionals tend to gravitate towards places that offer the best conditions for developing their talents. A dynamic society should not fear mobility; rather, it should be concerned when it flows in only one direction. And this is precisely the problem that Italy has been facing for many years now: more talented people are leaving than are returning, and the country is unable to attract enough from abroad to bridge the gap’.

The former minister argues that, in order to reverse this trend, it is essential to “invest in knowledge and innovation: universities, research centres, technology transfer and collaborative networks between the education sector and business”.

The Minister for Sport and Youth Andrea Abodi, who was present at the presentation of the survey results, concluded that ‘we must continue to invest in tangible and intangible infrastructure, in training, in guidance, in support for self-employment, in sport and the arts, in innovation and in the ability to forge a stable and reliable relationship between local communities and young people’.