Population
and emigration
by
Emilio Crescenziand Vincenzo Placanica
Giornale
di Caulonia - 1986
A profound analysis of the characteristics
of the Caulonian population enables one to observe the variations
of the overall resident population and to determine the different
effects which various elements exert on the dynamics of
the same population.
Natural and migratory movement, demographic
density and physical structure are the factors which constitute
the important elements regarding the study of demographic settlements
and of the economic aspects which have induced changes
in the population’s collective values.
The resident population in the town of Caulonia
in 31/12/61 was 10.998 individuals, about twenty years
later, that is by 31/12/81, the population was reduced to 8.280 individuals.
Such a drastic reduction was certainly not due to the
lack of good reasons.
Emigration was among the most important
phenomena, if not actually the most important one.
In 1961 the number of migrating individuals
(that means the differential between emigrated individuals and
immigrated ones) was 319 units and the birth rate largely exceeded
the mortality rate, while by 31/12/81, the overall balance
had changed. The migratory balance became –29 units but the mortality
rate now exceeded the birth rate which had become –6 units.
The consequences of the emigration phenomenon
Migration is the most important phenomenon
and is easily accounted for if one considers the various social
needs expressed by the population over the last decades and which
have been only partly satisfied in Caulonia.
If one agrees that mostly it is young people
who emigrate, then it is obvious how other factors (births,
marriages, etc) are directly affected. Therefor the foremost cause
for the variations within the population is the work opportunity
and consequently income: in Caulonia in 1981, only 23.4% of the population
actually had a job. (Of this 23.4%, 47.4% was employed in the business
sector, 23.9% in agriculture and 7.3% in Public Administration).
6.6% of the population was in search of their first job, while
70% of the resident population wasn’t active.
In the province of Reggio Calabria the 1961
census of industry and commerce revealed that 59.441active
elements (who were potentially able to carry out an activity) but
only 17.989 effective elements, (that is, elements which
actually did carry out an activity), with a deviation of –41.442 units.
In 1981, out of 22.814 active elements, only 15.903 were effective,
little over a half.
One can see how the great work vacancies
of 1961 underwent a reduction of its proportions largely due
to mass emigration to the Americas and to Northern Italy. Today, 24%
of the resident population in the province is unemployed,
that is double the rate of any other Italian province.
The above stated data certainly has some
general limitations. However, our foremost purpose is not to
quantify, but to highlight some of the phenomena which characterise
the reality of our society leaving space for the freedom
of reflection and for personal opinions.
To give a quantitative expression to the
lack of job opportunities in the province, as in Caulonia, would
mean having to begin to understand the basic characteristics of the
social situation in which we live. The awareness of such
a reality constitutes the basic element in order to set up a correct
behavioural policy which critically refers to the real
articulation of the productive process, both quantitatively
and qualitatively. From this the policy must manage to find a spark
from which it will be able to satisfy the outstanding
work force, promote realistic initiatives which seek to augment the
number of jobs on offer within an organic program for
the development of the territory.
MOVEMENT OF THE RESIDENT POPULATION FROM 1958 (beginning of mass emigration to Northern Italy and overseas) UNTIL TODAY
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Diff.
|
|
|
Diff.
|
INCREASE
|
OTHER
|
Resident
|
|
YEAR
|
BIRTHS
|
DEATHS
|
births
and
|
IMMIGR.
|
EMIGR.
|
Immigr.
and
|
OR
|
UNITS
|
pop.
|
|
|
|
|
deaths
|
|
|
Eemigr.
|
DECREASE
|
|
|
|
1958
|
232
|
102
|
+130
|
131
|
434
|
-303
|
-173
|
|
13.281
|
|
1959
|
274
|
85
|
+189
|
98
|
1.000
|
-902
|
-713
|
|
12.568
|
|
1960
|
258
|
106
|
+152
|
97
|
367
|
-270
|
-118
|
|
12.450
|
|
1961
|
245
|
88
|
+157
|
124
|
443
|
-319
|
-162
|
|
10.998
|
|
1962
|
205
|
87
|
+118
|
204
|
451
|
-257
|
-139
|
|
10.532
|
|
1963
|
184
|
102
|
+82
|
179
|
312
|
-132
|
-50
|
|
10.847
|
|
1964
|
197
|
82
|
+115
|
138
|
319
|
-181
|
-66
|
|
10.781
|
|
1965
|
196
|
79
|
+117
|
180
|
315
|
-135
|
-18
|
|
10.761
|
|
1966
|
197
|
77
|
+120
|
158
|
346
|
-188
|
-68
|
|
10.696
|
|
1967
|
209
|
74
|
+135
|
196
|
442
|
-346
|
-111
|
|
10.585
|
|
1968
|
174
|
97
|
+77
|
133
|
513
|
-380
|
-303
|
|
10.282
|
|
1969
|
168
|
87
|
+81
|
195
|
384
|
-189
|
-108
|
|
10.174
|
|
1970
|
164
|
94
|
+70
|
134
|
289
|
-155
|
-85
|
|
10.089
|
|
1971
|
119
|
91
|
+28
|
183
|
286
|
-103
|
-75
|
|
10.080
|
|
1972
|
140
|
73
|
+67
|
138
|
264
|
-126
|
-59
|
|
9.549
|
|
1973
|
146
|
80
|
+66
|
142
|
249
|
-107
|
-41
|
|
9.974
|
|
1974
|
136
|
100
|
+36
|
149
|
305
|
-156
|
-120
|
|
9.854
|
|
1975
|
124
|
84
|
+40
|
124
|
288
|
-164
|
-124
|
|
9.730
|
|
1976
|
141
|
91
|
+50
|
174
|
279
|
-105
|
-55
|
|
9.675
|
|
1977
|
138
|
81
|
+57
|
101
|
206
|
-105
|
-48
|
|
9.627
|
|
1978
|
105
|
88
|
+17
|
190
|
195
|
-5
|
+12
|
|
9.639
|
|
1979
|
135
|
81
|
+54
|
163
|
201
|
-38
|
+16
|
|
9.655
|
|
1980
|
108
|
82
|
+26
|
153
|
238
|
-85
|
-59
|
|
9.596
|
|
1981
|
71
|
77
|
-6
|
125
|
154
|
-29
|
-35
|
|
8.281
|
|
1982
|
121
|
92
|
+29
|
201
|
191
|
+10
|
+39
|
-5
|
8.314
|
|
1983
|
109
|
86
|
+20
|
270
|
161
|
+109
|
+129
|
+10
|
8.453
|
|
1984
|
104
|
80
|
+24
|
160
|
133
|
+27
|
+51
|
+10
|
8.514
|
|
1985
|
118
|
91
|
+27
|
178
|
160
|
+18
|
+45
|
+8
|
8.567
|
|
1986
|
101
|
76
|
+25
|
191
|
183
|
+8
|
+33
|
+4
|
8.604
|
|
1987
|
110
|
97
|
+13
|
155
|
144
|
+11
|
+24
|
+1
|
8.629
|
|
1988
|
121
|
85
|
+36
|
163
|
205
|
-42
|
-6
|
|
8.623
|
|
1989
|
97
|
78
|
+19
|
138
|
160
|
-22
|
-3
|
|
8.620
|
|
1990
|
102
|
75
|
+27
|
137
|
161
|
-24
|
+3
|
|
8.623
|
|
1991
|
97
|
90
|
+7
|
117
|
187
|
-70
|
-65
|
|
8.259
|
|
1992
|
87
|
105
|
-18
|
132
|
163
|
-31
|
-49
|
|
8.203
|
|
1993
|
99
|
73
|
+26
|
74
|
129
|
-55
|
-29
|
+19
|
8.193
|
|
1994
|
84
|
97
|
-13
|
93
|
124
|
-31
|
-44
|
+26
|
8.175
|
|
1995
|
79
|
101
|
-22
|
103
|
124
|
-21
|
-43
|
+11
|
8.143
|
|
1996
|
79
|
77
|
+2
|
104
|
132
|
+8
|
+10
|
+2
|
8.156
|
|
1997
|
92
|
87
|
+5
|
122
|
136
|
-14
|
-9
|
+2
|
8.148
|
|
1998
|
93
|
89
|
+4
|
61
|
160
|
-99
|
-95
|
+1
|
8.054
|
|
1999
|
67
|
95
|
-28
|
97
|
189
|
-92
|
-120
|
|
7.423
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Population
and emigration
by
Emilio Crescenzi and Vincenzo Placanica
- Il Giornale di Caulonia -
1986
Translated by Alexia Mazza
Top
