Italy’s demographic challenges worsened in 2024, with the birth rate reaching an unprecedented low, an increase in emigration, and a continued decline in population, according to the national statistics agency ISTAT on Monday.
The declining birth rate in Italy is viewed as a national crisis. Despite commitments from Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and her predecessors to prioritize this issue, efforts to reverse the trend have yet to yield results.
In 2024, there were approximately 281,000 more deaths than births, resulting in a population decrease of 37,000, bringing the total to 58.93 million, a continuation of a trend observed over the past decade.
Since 2014, Italy’s population has decreased by nearly 1.9 million, which is greater than the population of Milan, the country’s second-largest city, or the entire region of Calabria in the southern part of Italy.
The 370,000 births recorded in 2024 represented the 16th consecutive year of decline, marking the lowest number since Italy’s unification in 1861.
This figure reflects a 2.6% decrease from 2023 and is 35.8% lower than in 2008, the last year when Italy experienced a rise in births.
The fertility rate, which indicates the average number of children born to each woman of childbearing age, also dropped to a historic low of 1.18, significantly below the 2.1 rate required for a stable population.
The previous record low for the fertility rate was 1.19 children per woman, recorded in 1995.
In 2024, the number of deaths was 651,000, the lowest since 2019, aligning with pre-COVID-19 pandemic levels.
Average life expectancy increased to 83.4 years, an improvement of nearly five months from the previous year.
The 191,000 Italians who emigrated last year represented the highest figure this century, rising over 20% from the previous year. ISTAT noted that a recent regulatory change likely contributed to this increase.
A new law enacted last year imposed penalties on Italians living abroad who did not officially register as expatriates in their new countries of residence.
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In 2024, foreigners constituted 9.2% of the nation’s population, amounting to 5.4 million individuals, reflecting a 3.2% increase from the previous year, predominantly residing in the northern regions of the country.
Highlighting Italy’s swiftly aging demographic, ISTAT reported that nearly one in four inhabitants is over 65 years old, with the count of centenarians reaching a record high of 23,500.
