The yearly report from the Association for the Development of industry in the Mezzogiorno, Svimez, published Oct. 17, shows a dramatic improvements of all aspects of the crisis.

• In 2012 there have been more deaths than births. That has not happened since 1918, the end of World War I.

• Adjusted unemployment figures are 28.4% (officially 17%)

• In 2009-2012 manufacturing lost 20% of the labor force.

• In 2008-2013 some 560,000 jobs have been lost in all sectors.

• In 2007-2012, industrial investments dropped 47%.

• The GDP dropped 3.2% in 2012 (as against 2.1% in Northern Italy). In 2007-2012, GDP dropped 10% in the Mezzogiorno.

• GDP per capita is EU17,263 against EU30,073 in Central/Northern Italy. The gap between the richest region in per-capita GDP (Val d'Aosta at EU34,415) and the poorest (Calabria at EU16,460) is almost EU18,000.

*Almost one-fifth of Sicilian families live on less than EU1000 a month. Some 62% of southern families belong to poorer strata (adopting a division in five sections, 100 families in five classes of 20).