Istat publishes the 2017 update related to the “Day-time population for study and work – 2016” Experimental Statistics, released on 9 March 2020.
Many studies on the settlement population modalities and on the urbanisation dynamics show how, in the cities, some types of non-resident populations live together with the resident one using the same spaces with their own modalities. These are the individuals who, even if not residents, go there with different motivations (study, work, tourism, travel, etc.), with different frequency (daily, periodical, occasional) and for different periods.
The day-time population in a given area is composed by subpopulations of workers, students and city users, etc. The more attractive or repellent the area is, the more the day-time population differs from the population registered in the population registry. People moving towards cities with services or productive activities change the physiognomy of both the place of origin and the place of destination, and generate competition between the residents and non-residents in the use/consumption of resources and services.
Quantifying the day-time and night-time population is an historical goal for the demographers. Attractive cities are under a man-made pressure which generates demand for services, energy and land consumption, etc.
Being able to answer to questions such as: “How many of these people are there?”, “Where do they come from?”, “What are their main characteristics?” would be useful for the scaling of collective services, the housing needs of cities and their hinterland, as well as for prevention and intervention plans in case of natural disasters.
The statistical annex contains a set of tables aimed at quantifying and characterising the daytime population, as well as studying its geographical distribution by proposing elaborations for specific territorial domains: Large Municipalities, Metropolitan Cities, Main Urban Realities, Functional Urban Areas, and University Cities. The 2018 update will also include the “Unions of Municipalities”.
