Investigating the patterns of Italian internal mobility: a network analysis at provincial level

This study employs network analysis to investigate internal migration patterns in Italy from 2002 to 2018. Using filtering methods, the observed dense network was reduced to its essential components. The extracted backbone’s characteristics were then examined, including measures of structural balance and community detection. Our findings suggest that the majority of signed links in the network exhibit reciprocity, and that positive relationships between geographically close-by cities and their shared locations at greater distances contribute to a structural balance. Additionally, a community analysis revealed that geography play a crucial role in defining communities within the network.