Table 2.
Description of model variables and summary sample statistics
| Variable | Description | Mean | Median | SD |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ExDeaths | Number of deaths in the period January 1—April 30 2020—absolute difference compared to the average of the past five years, source: ISTAT | 9.32 | 2 | 37.13 |
| PM2.5 | Fine (2.5 µg/m3) particulate matter concentration obtained by spatial interpolation of monitoring stations, average across the years 2015–2019, source: European Environmental Agency | 19.67 | 20.85 | 4.15 |
| Pop. density | Population density computed as total population in number of inhabitants on January 1 2020 over the total artificial area in Km2, sources: ISTAT and European Environmental Agency—Corine land Cover data | 34.44 | 14.69 | 58.19 |
| PC income | Average per-capita income, source: Ministry of Finance, 2019 | 15,658.46 | 15,564.52 | 2497.44 |
| % Ind. Land | Share of industrial area on total municipality surface measures through satellite observation, source: European Environmental Agency—Corine land Cover data | 2.62 | 0.02 | 5.17 |
| % Small Ent | Share of enterprises with less than 10 employees, source: Registro statistico delle Unità Locali (ASIA—UL) | 94.26 | 94.44 | 3.80 |
| Temperature | Average mean skin temperature during the death observation period, source: Copernicus ERA5 0.25° × 0.25° grid resolution dataset. | 3.75 | 5.34 | 4.01 |
| Female/Male | Ratio between female and male population, source: ISTAT | 1.01 | 1.02 | 0.06 |
| % Over 65 | Share of population older than 65, source: ISTAT | 23.36 | 22.72 | 4.93 |
| % non-EU | Share of non-EU residents, source ISTAT | 1.88 | 1.51 | 1.55 |
| % Univ. Stud. | Definition, source: share of University students over total population, source: Ministry of University and Research | 82.28 | 19.49 | 289.57 |
| Dist. Airport | Distance in meters to the closest Airport, source: our computation based on European Environmental Agency—Corine land Cover data | 23,255 | 21,437.22 | 12,823.72 |
| PC Hospital Beds | Number per-capita hospital beds in the municipality, source: Health Ministry | 0.001 | 0.00 | 0.012 |
| Population | Total population, source: ISTAT | 6710.32 | 2549 | 38,814.47 |