Italy still struggles with a shrinking and aging population. Italy’s statistics agency Istat said in an annual report that the birth rate in the large southern European country was the lowest in modern history last year. No improvement is expected in 2023 either.
The number of births in Italy has been declining for fourteen years in a row. The counter was about 393,000 last year. The Italian population has shrunk by nearly a million people in the past three years and is aging on average. That is, according to statistics, the country is heading for a “demographic winter”.
These developments also have economic consequences for Italy. It currently has a population of around 59 million and has one of the largest economies in the Eurozone. Per capita GDP was lower last year than in 2008. In the report, Istat recommends investing heavily in the future of young people.
The vast majority of Italians between the ages of 16 and 29 (more than 87 percent) still live at home, which can make having children less attractive. The statistics office also finds it “extremely worrying” that many young Italians are not working or studying. Almost 20 percent of young people between the ages of 15 and 29 fall into this category, the highest proportion in the European Union after Romania.
Pope Francis
The demographic crisis is causing great concern among Italian administrators and even Pope Francis. He said earlier this year that only the rich can start a family. Francis cited a lack of permanent jobs and affordable housing as reasons. He also sighed that some Italians would rather have pets than children.
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