12.02.2025 / Expert Comments

Calabria, with its breathtaking landscapes and unique cultural heritage, is facing one of the most critical challenges of the 21st century: depopulation. The small inland villages, once the heart of vibrant communities are emptying at an alarming rate. Younger generations are emigrating to urban centers and Northern European countries, attracted by better job opportunities and higher-quality services. This phenomenon, although rooted in local dynamics, reflects a global issue linked to migration, economic transformations, climate crises, and demographic imbalances.

Author: Giuseppe Caruso, M.A. Candidate

The phenomenon of depopulation is not new to rural areas in Italy, but in recent decades, it has reached alarming proportions in Calabria. According to ISTAT data,^[1] numerous small Calabrian municipalities have lost over 50% of their population from the 1950s to today. Villages such as Albidona, Nardodipace, and Africo Vecchio now have only a few hundred inhabitants^[2], with schools and public services closed due to a lack of users. The causes of this decline are multiple. First and foremost, the lack of job opportunities pushes young people to seek employment elsewhere. The regional productive fabric is fragile and heavily dependent on the agricultural sector, which has been hit by several factors, including international competition and climate change, making it more difficult to cultivate the land. Another significant problem is the lack of modern infrastructure: Calabria is one of the Italian regions with the least developed railway and road networks, which contributes to a sense of isolation from the rest of the country.

The depopulation of rural areas is not, however, an issue exclusive to Calabria. Across Italy, many villages are facing similar challenges, with a progressively aging population and increasing migration towards cities. On a global level, the phenomenon aligns with growing urbanization: the UN predicts that by 2050, about 68% of the world’s population will live in urban areas.^[3] This mass movement is transforming local economies and reshaping the human geography of entire regions. In this critical scenario, a small Calabrian village has attracted international attention for an innovative social experiment: Riace — a new residents’ reception program adopted by the town. The program was an attempt to counter depopulation by offering a new home to migrants. Led by Mimmo Lucano, the former mayor of the municipality, Riace demonstrated how a migratory flow could be transformed into a resource for repopulation and the economic revitalization of a territory.

The village, located on the Calabrian Ionian coast, was at the end of the 20th century a village destined to disappear, with fewer than 2,000 inhabitants and a declining economy.^[4] However, in 1998, the arrival of a boat of Kurdish migrants changed the history of the village.^[5] Lucano saw that event not as a crisis, but as an opportunity: he decided to welcome the migrants and integrate them into the community, offering them the abandoned houses of the village and promoting employment integration projects.

The strategy he adopted was simple yet revolutionary.^[6] The funds allocated for the reception of new residents were used not only to guarantee essential services to the newcomers, but also to renovate the empty buildings and start productive activities. This approach allowed the local economy to be revitalized, involving both the migrants and the long-time residents of the village. Ancient craft shops were reopened, traditional trades such as weaving and pottery were revived, and organic farming was encouraged.^[7] The village became a social laboratory where innovation and tradition coexisted, with a community growing through collaboration and the sharing of experiences. Within a few years, Riace saw the reopening of schools, the return of community life, and a renewed economic vitality.

The model attracted the interest of researchers and international institutions, who considered it an example of sustainable development based on solidarity. Lucano described this experience as a form of “concrete utopia”, a model that combined hospitality and territorial rebirth, demonstrating that the enhancement of local resources and social inclusion can represent an effective response to the challenges of depopulation

Despite the initial enthusiasm generated by the Riace model, its management quickly became a case of strong political and media opposition. In 2018, Mimmo Lucano was arrested on charges of aiding illegal immigration and administrative irregularities in the use of funds allocated for reception. The 2021 first-instance ruling, which sentenced him to 13 years and 2 months of imprisonment, generated a wave of opposing reactions, both in Italy and abroad.^[8] On one hand, numerous civil society representatives, humanitarian organizations, and figures from the academic world have interpreted his case as a political attack on an effective, albeit unconventional, integration project. The narrative of Lucano as a symbol of solidarity has strengthened, with many supporters emphasizing how his choices were driven by concrete needs rather than personal interests. “I didn’t take a single euro for myself” was one of the phrases with which the former mayor reiterated his innocence, stressing that he acted in the collective interest and not for personal gain. On the other hand, his management was harshly criticized by those who emphasized the need to respect regulations in the distribution and use of public funds. From this perspective, the administrative informality with which the resources were managed would have compromised the transparency and fairness of the system, setting a risky precedent for other reception projects. The case sparked a broader debate on the compatibility between regulatory rigidity and flexible responses to social emergencies, highlighting the complexity of balancing legality and pragmatism in crisis contexts.

Despite the controversies, the experience of Riace has left a significant mark, inspiring other Italian villages, such as Camini and Acquaformosa, which have adopted similar strategies to integrate migrants and revitalize depopulating areas. Furthermore, it has helped to open a broader debate on how to approach migration not just as humanitarian emergencies, but as opportunities for local development.^[9]

The legacy of Riace is undoubtedly significant.^[10] But on its own, it cannot be enough to solve the problem of depopulation. Calabria needs a structured and forward-thinking development plan that combines innovation, modern infrastructure, and incentives for the return of younger generations. Active policies are needed to relaunch local employment, strengthen sustainable tourism, and access European funds to promote youth and women’s entrepreneurship. The experience of Riace teaches us that the repopulation of rural areas is not just an economic issue, but also a social and cultural one. Only by combining tradition and innovation, hospitality and development, can we imagine a Calabria that becomes not just a place to leave, but also a place to return to.

Departments: School for Sustainable Development; Research Department; Policy Analysis and Outreach Department; Society, Crisis, and Resilience Program; Community Foundations & SDGs.

Regions: Europe.

Themes: Architecture and Urbanism; Cities; Environment and Climate Change; European Union; Innovation, Science & Research; Public Policy; Sustainable Development Goals.