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Catania: what to know before buying a home

A municipality in the province of Catania, Sicilia. Official data on earthquakes, population, services and transport.

Liveability index free for any address

Search for an address in Catania

The report looks at the exact point: landslide and flood risk, seismic zone, price per square metre for the area, services and nearby stops.

For example: Via Palermo 1, Catania.

Catania, Baroque city beneath Etna

Catania lives in the shadow of Etna, Europe's highest active volcano, on Sicily's Ionian coast. After the earthquake of 1693 it was rebuilt in Baroque style, making heavy use of dark lava stone, and its centre belongs to the Val di Noto UNESCO World Heritage Site. With its port, university, retail and a business base spread across the surrounding plain, it is one of southern Italy's economic hubs.

Unlike almost every other provincial capital in Sicily, Catania has not lost residents. It had 298,680 in 2023, 1.6% more than the 293,902 counted at the 2011 census, and accounts for 27.9% of the population of its province of 58 municipalities. The estimated average age is about 45; 23.2% of residents are over 65, above the provincial figure of 21.9%, as the surrounding towns are younger than the city itself. Households average 2.23 people.

The city's history makes earthquake risk anything but abstract. Catania is in seismic zone 2, as are 54 municipalities in the province, while 4 are in zone 1. Yet the expected ground acceleration in the built-up area is about 0.205 g, which is high. A buyer should be clear about when the building was constructed, under which rules, and whether it has had any seismic improvement work.

Services are those of a big city. Overture counts 384 healthcare sites, well above the provincial rate per resident, 282 education sites, 101 officially registered pharmacies and 1,619 cafés and restaurants. Recorded green spaces, at 25, are proportionally fewer than the provincial average.

The Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) publishes cadastral maps for the municipality, so the report gets to the sheet and parcel number (foglio and particella) from the address. Landslide and flood hazard, between the hillside districts and the coastal area, is not judged for Catania as a whole but for each individual address.

Key points

  • 298,680 residents in 2023, up 1.6% since 2011.
  • Seismic zone 2 with high expected ground acceleration: about 0.205 g.
  • Healthcare sites per resident well above the provincial rate.
  • Baroque centre within the Val di Noto UNESCO site.

Overview

Catania is the capital of the province of Catania, in Sicilia. At the end of 2023 it had 298,680 residents, the most populous municipality in the province. 28% of the province's residents live here.

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Catania is in seismic zone 2, a zone where strong earthquakes are possible. Most municipalities in the province (54 of 58) are in the same zone.

In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.205 g, a medium-high value: the level with a 10% probability of being exceeded in 50 years, on rock.

For anyone buying in Catania, the building matters a great deal: ask for the design year, whether it met the 2008 seismic standards, and whether any seismic retrofit has been carried out.

Population

Compared with the 2011 census, the resident population has grown by 1.6%. The estimated average age is 45 years, in line with the province. 23% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 23%). Foreign residents make up 4.8% of the population. On average, a household has 2.2 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Catania declared an average taxable income of 23,054 euros, above the provincial average (20,793 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Catania is in climate zone B, with 833 heating degree days: heating may be switched on from 1 December to 31 March, for up to 8 hours a day. The same table puts the town hall at 7 metres above sea level.

Services

In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Catania has 282 schools and 101 pharmacies. The Overture Maps data also lists 130 grocery shops and supermarkets, 384 healthcare facilities, 260 sports facilities and 25 parks and green areas.

There are 1.3 healthcare facilities per 1,000 residents, more than the province average (0.7).

Public transport

We do not yet have open public transport timetables for this municipality: the report says so explicitly, without inventing distances.

How built-up it is

Buildings, roads, car parks and other sealed surfaces cover 29.3% of the land in Catania, compared with 8.0% in the province and 6.6% in the region. In 2024 built-up land grew by 27.1 hectares.

Radon and contaminated sites

Official databases list one contaminated site, or site still under investigation, in Catania, and 16 more have been cleaned up or closed. The report tells you whether one is close to the address.

Landslides and flooding

Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Catania: the report checks the address against the ISPRA maps.

House prices

The Revenue Agency's price ranges per square metre (OMI) apply to zones, not to whole municipalities: the report gives the range for the address's zone.

Land registry

The cadastral maps for Catania are public: from the address the report finds the sheet and parcel number.

Liveability area by area

The Vicinalia liveability index runs from 0 to 100 and looks at the place, not the people who live there: services within walking distance, transport, green space, natural hazards, air, quiet, buildings and connection. Here it is worked out at the centre of each of the 2,312 inhabited census areas in Catania. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 72 or more.

Residents by band

  • modest 0.7%
  • fair 16.3%
  • good 69.9%
  • very good 13.2%

Vicinalia index by census area, licence CC BY-SA 4.0. Data: IdroGEO ISPRA (2026), Istat, INGV, EEA, AGCOM, Overture Maps and OpenStreetMap.

The colour is the value at the centre of the area. For an exact address, search for it above: the free check looks at that exact point. How the index is worked out

Data sources

ISTAT code 087015. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.