Regione Puglia

APULIA'S GEOGRAPHY AT A GLANCE

The southern paradise sits at the heel of Italy’s boot and offers it all—rich culture, stunning nature displays, cuisine to dream about in one only unique name "Regione Puglia-Apulia Region the ‘heel of the boot’ of the Italian peninsula.

Apulia region is dominated by a splendid coastline spotted with Italy's finest sandy beaches for around 800 kms, The region includes 11 "landscape territorial areas" namely: Gargano, Monti Dauni, Tavoliere, Ofanto, Puglia Centrale, Alta Murgia e Murgia dei Trulli, Arco Ionico tarantino, Piana Brindisina, Tavoliere Salentino, Salento delle Serre.

As of 31.12.2023 , Puglia has 3,890.661 resident inhabitants, mainly concentrated in the provinces of Bari and Lecce.

Its  six provinces are Bari, Barletta-Andria-Trani, Brindisi, Foggia, Lecce and Taranto. 

Get to know them all in a snapshot!

BARI : (1.221.682 inhabitants) the regional capital, is the most affordable city to live in according to the Global Finance Buzz platform ( Analysis of  a series of economic, environmental and quality of life indicators for all cities worldwide). The province of Bari  stands out for its excellent climate, thanks to a favourable combination of sunny days and comfortable weather conditions throughout the year; its waterfront is simply breathtaking. Its origins  date back to the Bronze Age, in 1087; with the arrival of the relics of Saint Nicholas of Myra, Bari managed to turn into the meeting point for Eastern and Western Christendom.

It boasts a major University center, Università degli Studi Aldo Moro,  with hundreds of departments and degree courses, and the  the Polytechnic University, the only one in Southern Italy.

BARLETTA–ANDRIA–TRANI – (377.929 inhabitants) "Three Cities, One Soul" as it is generally referred to,  BAT is Italy’s only province with three co-capitals, namely: Barletta  famous for  its impressive Swabian Castle overlooking the Adriatic Sea; Andria, known as the city of Castel del Monte (UNESCO World Heritage Site), Trani, the "Pearl of the Adriatic", enchanting visitors with its seaside Romanesque cathedral and elegant harbor.

BAT offers a unique blend of history, architecture, and Mediterranean charm, framed with  international well recognized attractions and culinary specialities. such as : Alta Murgia National Park; the famous Andria burrata (in addition to Castel Del Monte, UNESCO's WHS).

BRINDISI: (377.240 inhabitants) Brindisi is its sea: the  harbour ,shaped like a deer's head, may have  been at the origin of its name Brundisium. known as the "gateway to the East" for its strategic geographical location, at a crossroads of cultures and peoples, is dominated by the Alfonsino Castle, known as Forte a Mare.The provincial territory of Brindisi is home of the five star- touristic destination known as Valle dell'Itria,(together with Taranto and Bari),a hilly area  rich in olive groves and trulli : Ostuni, Cisternino, Cegle Messapica just to mention a few.

FOGGIA:(593.078 inhabitants) The province of Foggia, also known as “Capitanata”, is the second largest province in Italy, characterized by three main geographical areas: the “Gargano promontory” the “Apulian tableland”  and the “Daunia sub-Apennines”, renowned for their agricultural production (especially durum wheat and tomatoes). It is home to the University of Foggia which holds  an excellent position in the 201-250 band  in THE YOUNG ranking, (Ranking of "young" universities ).

LECCE: (767.231 inhabitants )   Located in the heart of Salento, is one of the most charming cities in southern Italy, known as  the "Florence of the South," for  its extraordinary artistic and cultural heritage. .The historic center is a gem of Baroque art, featuring buildings decorated with Lecce stone, such as the Basilica of Santa Croce and the Cathedral. 
The University of Salento is a center of academic and research excellence, contributing to making the city vibrant and dynamic by attracting students from all over Italy and abroad; Lecce stands out for its diverse economic activities, with key sectors such as tourism, craftsmanship (particularly the art of working Lecce stone), agro-food, and services. In recent years, there has also been a growing boost in new technologies and innovative startups.

TARANTO: (553.501 inhabitants) Known as the "City of the Two Seas" due to its location between the Mar Grande (Big sea) and Mar Piccolo (Small sea),  was founded by the Spartans, and quickly became the most powerful and important city-state within Magna Graecia. Its rich history, spanning over 2,700 years, with its uncountable treasures is partly preserved in the National Archaeological Museum of Taranto (MAr.Ta.). An important symbol of the city's tradition is the Taranto mussel, included in the national list of traditional agricultural and food products, which grows in a unique environment, Mar Piccolo, where freshwater springs create a special habitat. The province of Taranto boasts protected areas like the Salina dei Monaci salt flats, unique  villages-Martina Franca and Manduria-with the ceramics production of Grottaglie and natural canyons like the Gravina of Laterza. 

DRIVING ECONOMIC SECTORS

In 2024, the regional economy grew, recording an estimated GDP increase of around 0.6% : 76% of Apulia's added value is generated by services; 20% by manufacturing and construction ; 3.5% by agriculture; In terms of purchasing power parity, Apulia's gross domestic product grew by 16.3%, compared to  15.9% of  Southern Italy.

Innovative and remarkable productive sectors:

Aerospace Strategic Hub: Puglia is one of Italy's leading regions in the aerospace sector, with a highly specialized industrial district that has grown significantly over the last decade. The turnover of companies in the sector exceeds €1.5 billion. Exports amounted to €390 million in 2023 and €326 million in 2024. The sector has over 100 companies and 8,000 employees.

Renewable Energy: Puglia is Italy's leader in renewable energy, particularly wind power, The region is focusing on self-consumption, the creation of a local industrial supply chain and the development of specific projects such as the “Puglia Green Hydrogen Valley” (green hydrogen) and offshore wind farms, with the aim of decarbonising industrial sites such as Ilva

Specialised Industrial Fabric:  key sectors of Made in Italy, such as footwear (North Barese Ofantino and Casarano), clothing and furniture-living room (Murgiano) stand out in the regional economic data.

Research and Development Network: There are 66 research centres (48 of which are public) operating in the region, supporting innovation in strategic sectors such as agri-food, precision engineering and nanotechnology; need to be mentioned  that innovation is fuelled by the technological transfer of the Apulian universities (see number of patent requests filed in Apulia + 15% as compared to the other Italian regions, highest demands in the chemical and engineering sector).

Agriculture and Agri-food: 2024 proved to be a record year for the exports of Apulian agri-food products, with oil, wine and pasta driving the success of “Made in Puglia” on international markets, strengthening the appeal of Apulian agri-food as a national excellence

Where Apulia excels : olive oil production, (almost 40% of the national production of olives for oil), durum wheat, with about a quarter of the national harvest, Apulia is fundamental to the pasta supply chain, a symbol of Italy in the world; table grapes with  about 75% of the entire national production.

At the forefront of organic farming: Puglia holds the record in Italy for organic production, with a large certified area that testifies to its focus on sustainability and quality.Additionally Puglia can boast a long list of both PDO and PGI products: just to mention a few: extra virgin olive oils, Altamura bread, Clementines from the Gulf of Taranto, Mozzarella From Gioia del cole, and several wines.

Tourism and Culture

Growth in International Tourism: Over the last ten years, the number of foreign tourists visiting Puglia has tripled, rising from 730,000 to 2.3 million in 2024; so that Puglia shines out as one of the top leading European tourist destinationSs.

The sector accounts for  14.8% of the  regional added value and hiring  11.1% of the workforce. Lecce stands out in terms of impact on the territory, while Bari leads the ranking  in absolute terms (€4 billion). 

UNESCO World Heritage Sites: The region is home to several UNESCO World Heritage Sites: Castel del Monte, the Trulli of Alberobello, the Sanctuary of San Michele Arcangelo in Monte Sant'Angelo, the Via Appia (culture category); the Ancient Beech Forest of the Umbra Forest; the Alta Murgia Geopark (nature category).

Dynamic cultural and creative industry: With over 13,000 active businesses, it is one of the most vibrant regions in southern Italy in this sector, with growth rates double the Italian average.

LABOUR MARKET (https://osservatoriolavoro.arti.puglia.it/)

At the end of 2024, Puglia has 1,300,000 people in employment, but also 350,000 people who are defined as  employable, with a high share for women. 

The overall picture that emerges is composed of the following core elements: 1) a sharp increase in post-Covid employment in Puglia, with a slowdown in 2024; 2) an increase in permanent positions, but with non-standard contracts (fixed-term and similar, and part-time) still accounting for a very high proportion; 3) a very large gender gap (women %); 4) significant internal territorial differences within the region; a noticeable increase in labour demand in construction, tourism, personal services and, to some extent, business services and certain industrial sectors; strong demand for low-skilled professions, but also a significant demand for technical and specialized services, the so-called "advanced services" (ICT and  Management consulting) characterized by a high level of innovation and need for highly skilled professionals.

Employment contracts are concentrated in the tertiary sector;  with 74.5% , and the remaining 25.5% in industry, divided between 11% in construction and the rest in industry in the strict sense (manufacturing and public utilities). Among the various productive sectors,  tourism services and construction have a major share.

If employment contracts data  are cross-checked with the occupational sectors of reference, it comes out data the majority of contracts  are for “skilled commercial and service professions”;the number of contracts for “skilled workers”,  in addition to “unskilled professions”, has a significant share too.

The JobPricing Observatory, in  its Geography Index 2025, reveals pay differences between the various Italian regions and provinces ranking according to the average annual income with a significant regional gap: the North has an average GAI (Gross annual Income) of €33,740, the Centre €32,638 and the South €29,424; among southern regions, Puglia has a GAI of €29,067.

LABOUR SERVICES DELIVERY

ARPAL Puglia - The Regional Agency for Active LaboUr Policies is the organization implementing the labour policies throughout the region. It serves jobseekers  and employers thus  contributing to the development of the regional labour market.

It includes  6 territorial provincial Hubs with 44 Local Employment Centres (Centri per l’impiego)

Services for citizens and jobseekers:

• Initial information and welcome
• Basic and specialized orientation for work experience, training programs, and other active labour policy measures
• Active job search support
• Support for CV writing
• Matching job supply and demand (Lavoro per te)
• Promotion of traineeships
• Participation in national and regional programs (e.g., Youth Guarantee and GOL)
• Self-employment orientation and business start-up mentoring
• EURES Services for European mobility
• Targeted placement for people with disabilities
• Digital facilitation

Services for employers:

• Matching supply and demand for the recruitment of qualified staff  (Lavoro per te)
• Business Helpdesk to provide support to those wishing to start a business.
• Accreditation of organizations wishing to provide private employment services.
• Information and advice on labour regulations, hiring incentives, and regional and national active labor market policies.
• Digital tools for accessing digital platforms and services.