Italy experienced a decline in its birth rate in 2022, with just over 393,000 children born, marking a 1.7% decrease from the previous year. This drop has taken the birth rate to a new historic low, as reported by Istat. The downward trend in birth rates seems to continue in 2023, with provisional data indicating a 1.9% reduction in the first half of the year, equivalent to 3,500 fewer births compared to the same period in 2022.
ISTAT, an Italian state agency, noted that the number of births has been steadily decreasing for 15 years, plummeting by 31.8% from its peak in 2008. The contribution of the foreign population to the birth rate in Italy is also diminishing. Additionally, 41.5% of children born in Italy in 2022 were born out of wedlock, marking a significant increase since the turn of the millennium. The Italian government, led by Premier Giorgia Meloni, is keen to reverse the declining birth rate, proposing measures in the 2024 budget bill to support working mothers with financial incentives, though some aspects of the bill, like raising VAT on baby products, may counter this effort.
