German speakers tend to be concentrated in the more rural areas.
The 1972 statute of autonomy establishes the equality of German and Italian. The German speaking citizens of South Tyrol have the right to use their language with court officials and with the organs and officials of public administration situated in the province or which have regional jurisdiction, as well as with businesses licensed to provide public services in the province. Knowledge of both Italian and German is a prerequisite for all employment in state administration and public corporations, and also increasingly so in the private sector. Military institutions continue to use Italian only. South Tyrol has a certain autonomy in the field of education, where the schools are administered by three separate bodies according to language.