Deprivation and Regional Cohesion as Challenges to Sustainability: Evidence from Italy and Greece

Italy and Greece share many structural and economic similarities, including high regional disparities and marked asymmetries between dynamic metropolitan areas and structurally weaker regions. Both countries also face high public debt and an aging population, conditions worsened by recent economic crises. These challenges have significant implications for sustainability, as economic hardship often leads to inefficient resource use, underinvestment in green infrastructure, and socially unsustainable outcomes. Promoting socio-economic and environmental sustainability thus requires addressing territorial inequalities through integrated policies that balance growth, equity, and ecological responsibility. This study introduces a spatiotemporal application of the Peña Distance (DP2) method, allowing for a dynamic and multidimensional analysis of socio-economic deprivation at the NUTS 1 level. The results confirm persistent disadvantages in remote Greek regions and Southern Italy, where youth outmigration and limited development opportunities are prevalent. These regions are affected by multiple, interconnected forms of vulnerability that compromise their prospects for long-term sustainable development, underlining the need for timely and coordinated interventions across different policy levels.