How does Naples rank in terms of livability? The quality of life rankings.

When discussing quality of life in Naples , the inevitable question arises: how livable is the city compared to the rest of Italy? The answer varies depending on the indicator considered, but the main national rankings still paint a mixed picture.

The latest available general ranking by Il Sole 24 Ore , published in December 2025, places the province of Naples in 104th place out of 107 Italian provinces . This result keeps the area in the last positions, even though it has improved by two places compared to the previous edition.

However, the data alone doesn't tell the story of living in Naples. Behind the rankings are several factors: from income to employment, from safety to services, including the environment, culture, and leisure time.

Quality of life in Naples: what the Sole 24 Ore rankings say

The Sole 24 Ore ranking takes into consideration 90 indicators , organized into six large areas: wealth and consumption, business and work, environment and services, demography, society and health, justice and security, culture and leisure.

In 2025, Naples achieved an overall score of 411,4 , far behind the 648,7 points of first-place Trento. Ahead of Naples, in the last positions, are only Crotone, Siracusa, and Reggio Calabria.

The overall result, however, hides very marked differences between the various sectors.

Culture and leisure , for example, represents one of the region's main strengths: Naples ranks 37th in Italy in this category. This figure is significant because it confirms the importance of its cultural heritage and the range of shows, events, and leisure activities.

Even more evident is the result relating to museum heritage : Naples is in first place nationally for the number of museum structures in relation to the surface area.

It's therefore difficult to describe Naples simply as a "poorly liveable" city. The ranking highlights, above all, the profound differences between the aspects that work best and those that continue to pose a problem.

Naples's Livability: What Are Its Weak Points?

If culture and leisure are one of the best aspects of the city, the picture changes when observing wealth, services and environment.

In the 2025 ranking, Naples ranks 106th for wealth and consumption , second to last among Italian provinces. Particularly significant is the data regarding families with an ISEE below 7 euros: Naples ranks last in Italy, with a share equal to 45% of the households considered by the indicator.

The environment and services sector also presents several challenges. The province ranks 101st, and among the most critical indicators are waste sorting, bank branches, and the urban ecosystem. Waste sorting, in particular, places Naples 102nd nationally.

Security is another factor that impacts the perception of livability. Naples ranks 99th in the justice and security category . Among the worst indicators are the perception of insecurity, snatch thefts, and public robberies.

However, there is no shortage of positive data in these areas as well. Naples, for example, ranks 11th for road accidents, calculated as deaths and injuries per thousand inhabitants, and fourth for reported damage.

What is it like to live in Naples in 2026?

Looking at the quality of life in Naples in 2026 therefore means going beyond simple position in the overall ranking.

An interesting development comes from the updates published throughout 2026 on the various dimensions of livability. In the Il Sole 24 Ore survey dedicated to children, youth, and the elderly, Naples remains in a very difficult situation, especially for the younger age groups.

For children 's quality of life , the province ranks 104th out of 107; the same position is recorded for young people , while for the elderly Naples climbs to 91st place.

Even in this case, however, the indicators reveal a complex reality. Among the positive aspects for children are participation in the school system, where Naples ranks second in Italy, and local services within 15 minutes, which put it in fourth place. Among the critical issues, however, stand out the availability of living space, school buildings equipped with cafeterias, and nursery coverage.

For young people, however, some particularly interesting contradictions emerge. Naples ranks second in Italy for youth entrepreneurship , but ranks 104th for youth unemployment and 101st for the number of young people neither in employment nor in education, known as NEETs.

It is precisely this contrast that makes answering the question of how liveable Naples is more complex.

Is Naples really among the least liveable cities in Italy?

The answer depends on what you mean by “livability.”

If we look at the general ranking of the Sole 24 Ore, Naples is indeed in the last positions : 104th out of 107 provinces in 2025. The city pays above all the burden of income, services, environment, safety and some social indicators.

But other parameters paint a decidedly different picture.

Indeed, its cultural heritage, leisure opportunities, climate, and some aspects of urban life are significant strengths. Even the Sole 24 Ore climate index highlights some advantages: Naples ranks 24th for sunshine and 24th for heat waves, while it suffers significantly more from the number of tropical nights.

Even the indices compiled by Numbeo, updated to September 2026, paint a different picture: Naples has a quality of life index of 122,38 , with a low cost of living and a very high climate index. Conversely, safety and pollution are among the most problematic aspects. However, these data are based on user perceptions and not an institutional statistical ranking, so they should be interpreted with caution.

The picture that emerges is therefore less clear-cut than the 104th place might suggest.

Naples remains one of the Italian provinces with the greatest socioeconomic and service problems, but it retains strengths that are difficult to ignore , especially in terms of culture, tourism, climate and urban liveliness.

To understand whether a city is truly "livable," therefore, it's not enough to ask where it ranks nationally. We must also ask for whom , and in what respects.

And it is precisely here that Naples' location tells only part of the story.