Italy faces crisis as births hit new record low

There were some 281,000 more deaths than births in 2024

Pope Francis baptises a baby boy called Miguel Angel as he visits the children's cancer ward at the Gemelli hospital where he is hospitalised for a respiratory infection in this screengrab taken from a video, in Rome (Vatican Media via Reuters)

Italy's demographic decline worsened in 2024, with births hitting a record low, emigration rising, and the population continuing to shrink, according to the national statistics bureau ISTAT.

The falling birth rate, a national emergency, continues unabated despite government pledges to address it.

The gap between deaths and births widened in 2024, with 281,000 more deaths than births recorded. This contributed to a population decrease of 37,000, bringing the total population down to 58.93 million. This continues a downward trend seen over the past decade. Since 2014, Italy's population has shrunk by almost 1.9 million, a loss equivalent to the population of Milan, or the entire region of Calabria.

The number of births in 2024, just 370,000, represents the 16th consecutive year of decline and the lowest number since Italy's unification in 1861. This persistent decline underscores the severity of the demographic crisis facing the nation.

The previous record low in the fertility rate was 1.19 children per woman recorded in 1995 (PA Archive)

It was down 2.6% from 2023, ISTAT said, and 35.8% lower than in 2008 - the last year Italy saw an increase in the number of babies born.

The fertility rate, measuring the average number of children born to each woman of child-bearing age, also fell to a record low of 1.18, far below the 2.1 needed for a steady population.

The previous record low in the fertility rate was 1.19 children per woman recorded in 1995.

The 651,000 deaths registered in 2024 were the lowest since 2019, bringing the number back into line with levels before the COVID-19 pandemic.

Average life expectancy jumped to 83.4 years, up almost five months from 2023.

The 191,000 Italians who moved abroad last year was officially the highest number this century, spiking more than 20% from the year before, though ISTAT said a regulatory change was probably a key factor in the data.

A new law introduced last year imposed fines on Italians living abroad who failed to formally register as expatriates in their new country of residence.

Foreigners made up 9.2% of the country's population in 2024, for a total of 5.4 million, up 3.2% year-on-year, with the majority living in the north of the country.

Underscoring Italy's rapidly ageing population, ISTAT said almost one in four residents were above the age of 65, while the number of centenarians hit a new high of 23,500.