The number of people who acquired Italian citizenship in 2024 grew by 4,4% compared to the previous year. The estimate is for 121 new acquisitions, compared to 116 registered in 2023, according to a survey by Istat, the Italian National Institute of Statistics, and reported by the Adnkronos news agency.
More than half of the cases — 52% — were obtained by descent, based on the principle of the right of blood, which recognizes the right of blood for children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren of Italians.
South America accounts for the majority of recognitions. In 2023 alone, there were over 90 recognitions. Brazil stands out, with more than 41 thousand new Italian citizens.
Argentina comes in second place, with around 33 thousand recognitions.
Two consulates account for the largest volumes in the world: São Paulo, with nearly 21 acquisitions, and Buenos Aires, with over 12. Together, they account for 28,4% of all Italian citizenships recognized worldwide in 2023.
In Europe, the numbers are more modest. There were approximately 14 recognitions in the same period.
Changes in the law could reduce numbers in 2025
The expectation is that the 2025 numbers will be smaller than those of 2024. This is because citizenship reform, approved in May, significantly limited the recognition of citizenship by direct descent at the administrative level, that is, in Italian consulates and municipalities.
The call Tajani Decree, which changed the automatic access to the right of blood, began to demand effective ties with Italy.
As a result, the judicial route became the only possible means of recognizing citizenship for a large portion of descendants, especially in South America. Italian courts continue to receive new cases and issue thousands of favorable rulings—all, however, regarding cases initiated before the new law.
Meanwhile, Constitutional Court Italian government assesses the constitutionality of the new law. Lawyers specializing in constitutional law believe that the law approved by the Prime Minister's government Giorgia Meloni will be considered unconstitutional, as it violates the principle of transmission of citizenship through blood ties guaranteed by previous legislation.
The decision is expected around May 2026.
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