(ANSA) - Rome, November 4 - Italy's south entered a recession in 2019, with GDP down by 0.2%, while the country's GDP in the centre and north grew 0.3%, according to a report by the Association for Industrial Development in the Mezzogiorno (SVIMEZ) released Monday.

The report predicted a "weak recovery" in 2020 for the Italian Mezzogiorno, with growth no higher than 0.2%.

The study said the employment gap between the country's south and the centre-north increased in the past 10 years from 19.6% to 21.6%.

It said the south would have to create about three million jobs to catch up to the centre-north.

The report said 2,015,000 residents have left the south since 2000, half of whom were young people.

