According to 2014 data from the Ministry of Economy and Finance, the per capita income of the residents of Cagliari was 122% of the national average; for the metropolitan area it was 103% and for Sardinia as a whole it was 86%.
The 26% of the island population that lives in Cagliari Metropolitan City produces 31% of the island's GDP and the urban-area income is greater than that of the rest of Sardinia.
According to Eurostat in 2009 the metropolitan area of Cagliari had a per capita purchasing power standard (PPS) of 21.699 euros, which is 92.4% of the European Union (27) data.

The Metropolitan City has an unemployment rate of 17.7%.
This is higher than the national rate of 12.2% and higher than the regional unemployment rate of 17.5%.

The traditional economy was based on agriculture: the cultivation of wheat, olive groves and vineyards, gardens and orchards wherever there was plenty of water in the dry Summers.
The mountains were exploited for firewood and coal that were sold in Cagliari.
There were mines, particularly the Iron mine of San Leone in the territory of Assemini.
The large salt pans east and west of Cagliari were also exploited.

Currently the capital city holds most of the administrative offices, the retail trade (particularly in the historic center), financial services, professional offices, and health services.
Industry, warehousing, and major shopping centers are concentrated in the other municipalities of the metropolitan area.
Tourism is concentrated along the coast.

In 2014, the Cagliari-Sarroch port system was the third largest in Italy, as measured by amount of goods transferred.

The Macchiareddu-Grogastru area between Cagliari and Capoterra, in conjunction with the Port of Cagliari, is the most important industrial area of Sardinia.
The port includes the Cagliari International Container Terminal (CICT) at Giorgino, which had an annual traffic capacity of 1,000,000 Twenty-Foot equivalent units (TEUs) in 2002.
Multinational corporations like Coca-Cola, Heineken, Unilever, Bridgestone and Eni Group have factories in this area.
Within the metropolitan area at Sarroch there is one of the six oil refinery supersites in Europe, called Saras.

The communications provider, Tiscali, has its headquarters in the boroughs of Cagliari.
According to 2014 data from the Ministry of Economy and Finance, the per capita income of the residents of Cagliari was 122% of the national average; for the metropolitan area it was 103% and for Sardinia as a whole it was 86%. The 26% of the island population that lives in Cagliari Metropolitan City produces 31% of the island's GDP and the urban-area income is greater than that of the rest of Sardinia. According to Eurostat in 2009 the metropolitan area of Cagliari had a per capita purchasing power standard (PPS) of 21.699 euros, which is 92.4% of the European Union (27) data.
The Metropolitan City has an unemployment rate of 17.7%. This is higher than the national rate of 12.2% and higher than the regional unemployment rate of 17.5%.
The traditional economy was based on agriculture: the cultivation of wheat, olive groves and vineyards, gardens and orchards wherever there was plenty of water in the dry Summers. The mountains were exploited for firewood and coal that were sold in Cagliari. There were mines, particularly the Iron mine of San Leone in the territory of Assemini. The large salt pans east and west of Cagliari were also exploited.
Currently the capital city holds most of the administrative offices, the retail trade (particularly in the historic center), financial services, professional offices, and health services. Industry, warehousing, and major shopping centers are concentrated in the other municipalities of the metropolitan area. Tourism is concentrated along the coast.
In 2014, the Cagliari-Sarroch port system was the third largest in Italy, as measured by amount of goods transferred.
The Macchiareddu-Grogastru area between Cagliari and Capoterra, in conjunction with the Port of Cagliari, is the most important industrial area of Sardinia. The port includes the Cagliari International Container Terminal (CICT) at Giorgino, which had an annual traffic capacity of 1,000,000 Twenty-Foot equivalent units (TEUs) in 2002. Multinational corporations like Coca-Cola, Heineken, Unilever, Bridgestone and Eni Group have factories in this area. Within the metropolitan area at Sarroch there is one of the six oil refinery supersites in Europe, called Saras.
The communications provider, Tiscali, has its headquarters in the boroughs of Cagliari.
Metropolitan City of Cagliari