Italy's south is on track for a "demographic tsunami" if it fails to capitalise on European Union pandemic recovery funds to bridge the gap with the productive north, statistics bureau ISTAT said on Wednesday.
Italy - the biggest recipient of the EU's fund - aims to use a large chunk of the roughly 200 billion euros ($217.56 billion) it is due for projects connected to social and territorial cohesion, including closing its deep-rooted north-south divide.
At least 40% of the total outlay will be spent on the south.
