Study title

The dataset provides data on Municipal Unions (MUs) in Italy for the 1996-2015 period. Municipal Unions are forms of intermunicipal cooperation aimed at delivering municipal services and characterized by a high degree of formalization and institutionalization. The following 15 variables/indicators are taken into account: Year of establishment of the Municipal Union (Year); number of founding members (N founding members); number of members (N members 2015); number of member municipalities subject to compulsory cooperation by the Italian law (N C members); belonging (Y) or not (N) of all MU member municipalities to a unique Socio-sanitary District (Unique SSD); belonging (Y) or not (N) of all MU member municipalities to a unique Local Work System (Unique LWS); total inhabitants (Inh.N); inhabitants of the smallest member municipality (Inh.S); inhabitants of the largest member municipality (Inh.B); ratio smallest/largest population (Inh.R); average population (Inh.Av.); surface area (sq Km); average surface area (Av. Sur); Territorial Accessibility Index (TAI); Demographic Balance Index (DBI). The dataset gives systematic information on Municipal Unions established in Italy from 1996 to 2015. Data relate to 2015, unless differently specified. A total number of 462 Municipal Unions is taken into account, that is all those present in the country at the year of data collection.