Italy's birth rate continues to decline

Italy’s population remained almost stable at 58.9 million people as of Jan. 1, 2024, despite a decline in the birth rate, according to the National Institute of Statistics (ISTAT) on Friday. This trend of population decline has been ongoing since 2014.

In 2023, there were 379,000 newborns in Italy, with a birth rate of 6.4 babies per 1,000 people, slightly lower than the previous year’s rate of 6.7 per thousand. This resulted in 14,000 fewer newborns compared to 2022 and 197,000 fewer than in 2008 when the declining birth rate trend began.

The average number of children born to women in Italy decreased to 1.2 in 2023 from 1.24 in 2022, nearing the record low of 1.19 children per woman recorded in 1995.

The decline in birth rate was observed across the entire territory of Italy. However, the population remained stable due to the increase in the number of foreign residents, which reached 5.3 million in 2024, an increase of 166,000 people (3.2 percent) from the previous year.

Foreign residents now make up nine percent of the total population, contributing to limiting the overall demographic decline in the country. Net migration was positive at 4.6 per thousand, marking the highest level since 2011, as more foreigners moved to Italy than Italians moving abroad.

Another factor that helped to limit the decline in population was the decrease in the number of deaths, with an eight percent decrease compared to 2022. The mortality rate also decreased to 11.2 per thousand, down from 12.1 per thousand in 2022. Life expectancy at birth increased to an average of 83.1 years, representing a six-month increase from 2022.

A recent report by the United Nations’ Department of Economic and Social Affairs revealed that Italy ranked second globally in the percentage of elderly people aged 65 and above, with 23.7 percent of the population falling in this age group. Japan ranked first with 29.8 percent, followed by Finland, Portugal, and Greece.