Foreigners already represent 9,1% of Italy's population. In total, there will be 5.898.000 people living in the country as of January 1, 2025, according to the... 31st Report on Migration from the Ismu Ets Foundation, recently published.
The number has grown compared to the previous year. Compared to January 1, 2024, there was an increase of 143 people.
Most foreigners lives regularly in the countryThere are 5.371.000 residents. There are also 188.000 non-residents and an estimated 339.000 undocumented immigrants, equivalent to 5,7% of the total.
Romanians lead among nationalities.
The largest community is the Romanian one, with 1.053.042 people. Among the European Union countriesOnly Romanians and Poles appear among the most representative groups, with the latter numbering 72.212 people.
The Supreme Court reaffirmed: citizenship is born with the person.
- New legal front opened
- Processes can still be filed.
- Individual assessment before any decision.
Next in line are Albanians, with 414.622 people, followed by Moroccans, with 412.457, and Chinese, with 311.250 residents.
The Ukrainian community ranks fifth, with 287.187 people. This group stands out for its greater female presence.
Female majority in some communities
Among Ukrainians living in Italy, 74,9% are women. The proportion is also high among Poles, at 74,2%, and Moldovans, at 66,6%.
Labor market and unemployment
In the labor market, 2,4 million foreigners are employed. They represent 10,6% of the country's workforce.
At the same time, they also account for 16,9% of the unemployed. In absolute numbers, this represents 278.300 foreigners seeking employment.
Furthermore, there are 1,2 million inactive people, which is equivalent to 9,7% of the total Italian population.
Religion and population profile
The most widespread religion among foreigners is Islam, accounting for 31% of the total. This is followed by Orthodox Christians, with 28,6%, and Catholics, with 16,6%.
A portion of 9,4% declare that they do not follow any religion.
Impact on Italian schools
Foreign presence is also growing in the education system. In the 2022/2023 school year, the number of students with non-Italian citizenship exceeded 900.000.
In September 2023, there were 930.000 students in this situation.
Between 2015 and 2024, 622.000 people under the age of 20 acquired Italian citizenship. However, there is no breakdown of how many are of school age.
The progress is significant in the long term. In 2003, foreign students represented 3,5% of the total. In 2023, that percentage reached 11,6%.
The data is a national average and varies by region.
The Constitutional Court's decision changed the landscape. The new citizenship law will now be reviewed by the European Union's courts of justice.
