Italy plan to double payments to families to fight falling birth rates

'In five years we have lost more than 66,000 births (per year),' says Italian Health Minister Beatrice Lorenzin

There were just 488,000 Italian children born in 2015 (Reuters)

The Italian government is planning to double child benefit payments in an attempt to combat the country's falling birth rates.

In response, Italy's Health Minister Beatrice Lorenzin has declared the monthly benefit for lower income families should be doubled from €80 (£63) to €160 (£126).

She described the steady decline in birth rates as an "apocalypse".

There were only 488,000 babies born in Italy in 2015, a fall of 5 per cent from 2014 when there were 509,000 new babies.

According to World Bank figures, Italy's 2014 birth rate was eight per 1,000 citizens compared to 12 in the UK and 13 in the US.

Ms Lorenzin told the La Repubblica newspaper:"If we carry on as we are and fail to reverse the trend, there will be fewer than 350,000 births a year in 10 years' time, 40% less than in 2010 - an apocalypse.

"In five years we have lost more than 66,000 births (per year)... If we link this to the increasing number of old and chronically ill people, we have a picture of a moribund country."

These payments were introduced last year and available for babies born between 1 January 2015 and 31 December 2017. The benefit will be available to these families until the child reaches the age of three.

If Ms Lorenzin changes were approved, it would increase government spending by €2.2 billion (£1.7 billion).