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Newborn in Italy (archive image)
Photo: Remo Casilli / REUTERS
Fewer and fewer children are being born in Italy. The country, which has been facing a sharp demographic decline for some time, recorded another negative record number of births in 2023, as the statistics agency Istat announced on Friday. According to preliminary data, only about 379,000 children were born last year. Another historic low – the eleventh in a row since 2013.
Italy is far behind in a European comparison
In comparison: In 2008, the Mediterranean country recorded around 577,000 births and was the last time there was an increase in births compared to the previous year. In the years that followed, the birth rate fluctuated, but since 2013 Italy has recorded one negative record after another. Since records began, i.e. since the unification of Italy in the 19th century, never have so few births been registered as in recent years.
The figures from 2022 already gave cause for concern: Births fell below the threshold of 400,000 for the first time since records began and were around 393,000 at the time. When it comes to the combined birth rate, the new Istat figures also do not bode well . With 1.2 children per woman, Italy is far behind in a European comparison. In total, a good 58.99 million people lived in the country in 2023.
Specifically, the numbers mean that in 2023 there were six newborns for eleven deaths per 1,000 inhabitants. In addition to the decline in births, Italy is also recording an increase in the average age. This is currently 46.6 years. The trend of the past few years also continues in terms of the number of people who are at least centenarians and has reached its historic high: 22,500 people in Italy are over 100 years old.
lph/dpa