Wellbeing of Italian provinces through a multi-group approach

The Covid-19 pandemic significantly affected multiple facets of individuals' everyday routines, familial dynamics, and societal structures. It has altered the shape and extent of territorial inequalities, differentially influencing domains of well-being. This study aims to compare equitable and sustainable well-being (BES from the Italian “Benessere Equo e Sostenibile”) in Italian provinces before (2019) and after the pandemic (2020). The theoretical framework is represented by the set of indicators proposed by Istat to measure BES while the methodological framework is represented by the Partial Least Squares Path Models (PLS-PMs) developed by Wold in 1985. This technique allows for the identification of a network of relationships between observed indicators and different domains of well-being. The paper adopts a multi-group approach to highlight differences in BES components, considering the pre and post pandemic scenarios. At this aim two different points of view are proposed: a "non-parametric confidence set approach" based on the comparisons between coefficients separately estimated in the two years and a global model based on the differences among observed indicators (Jacobs et al. 2011). The obtained results will contribute to a better understanding of changes and territorial inequalities in society following the health crisis, providing valuable information for public policy planning and resource allocation at the local level.