Material flow accounts - 2023

Istat regularly releases, through the institute’s data warehouse IstatData, data on the physical flows of the Italian economy, compliant with EU Regulation 691/2011, consistent with national accounts economic data and therefore suitable for integrated economic-environmental analysis.

The data released today specifically refer to flows of used materials at the level of the entire economy, measured in thousand tons, with the exclusion of air and water. The main aggregate indicators include direct material consumption (DMC), direct material input (DMI), physical trade balance (PTB). Elementary components of these indicators are the flows recorded by material (around thirty different types), separately for domestic extraction (DE), imports (IMP) and exports (EXP). The national historical series start from the year 1990. At the regional scale, the indicators DMC, PTB and DE are disseminated, by macrocategory of material (biomass, non-energy minerals, fossil fuels). Regional series are updated to the year 2022, starting from the year 2015.

The “Domestic material consumption” indicator (DMC) is a measure of the quantity of materials, directly used in an economy, which become part of the useful material stock within the economy (buildings, infrastructure, curable goods, etc.) or are accumulated in landfills or released back to the environment. The DMC is calculated as the sum of internal extraction (DE) and net imports (PTB equal IMP-EXP). At the regional level the PTB also considers the flows between regions, besides those of the regions with foreign countries.

The DMC is used for defining and monitoring sustainable development policies in national and international context, measuring the circular economy, and measuring equitable and sustainable well-being (BES).

This year, Istat publishes data incorporating the results of extensive methodological revisions, implemented in line with the national accounting benchmark.

In particular, the estimates for the extraction of wood for combustion have been substantially revised. Data on wood harvesting are scarce and incomplete and do not cover many sources of firewood, such as harvesting not subject to authorization or illegal harvesting, the use of pruning residues, fruit trees and garden trees removed at the end of their life, etc. For this reason, we have indirectly estimated the quantities harvested based on studies and surveys on the use of energy products by households and businesses, as well as data on foreign trade and ad hoc studies.

Another important revision concerned the extraction of non-energy minerals, which are subject to a relatively high degree of uncertainty. The estimates of the totals for this item have been revised for the most recent years, in light of an in-depth analysis conducted for the current edition. Although these totals have remained unchanged or have undergone minimal changes, their distribution among the different detail material categories has been completely revised based on a comparison of microdata, carried out linking survey data on local units with administrative sources on extraction sites.

For information:
Division for Final demand, labour and capital input, environmental accounts

Aldo Femia
femia@istat.it

Flora Fullone
Territorial office for Southern regions
ffullone@istat.it