The most recent data from Istat reveal that, by December 31, 2022, the number of Italian citizens residing abroad reached 5,94 million, an increase in 97 thousand individuals compared to the beginning of the year. This growth, although significant in absolute terms, represents a modest relative increase of 1,7%.
Factors contributing to the increase
The growth of the Italian population abroad in 2022 can be attributed to several factors:
- Migratory movements: There was a positive migration balance of more than 25 thousand, with expatriates surpassing returnees. This movement involved slightly more women than men.
- Natural dynamics: The birth rate among Italians abroad was positive, with 25 thousand births against 8 thousand deaths.
- Acquisition of citizenship: There were 85 thousand new acquisitions of Italian citizenship, the majority being recognitions of citizenship jure sanguinis, which refers to the right to citizenship based on ancestry.
More than half of Italians living abroad live in Europe
More than half of Italians abroad live in Europe, totaling 3,246 million, while 2,384 million reside in America. This pattern reflects a historical distribution of Italian migrations.
Latin America
In Latin America, especially in Brazil and Argentina, acquisitions of Italian citizenship were predominant.
In 2022, approximately 65 thousand Italians acquired citizenship in these countries, with emphasis on Brazil (27 thousand acquisitions) and Argentina (26 thousand acquisitions), mainly through iure sanguinis recognitions. Buenos Aires and São Paulo are the consulates with the highest number of citizenship acquisitions.
Europe
On the contrary, in European countries, citizenship acquisitions were significantly lower, with around 12 thousand new citizenships.
Demographic profile
Of Italians living abroad, only 31,6% were born in Italy. This proportion is even lower in Latin American countries such as Argentina (10,5%) and Brazil (5,6%), where citizenship is often inherited through descent.
The average age of Italians abroad is 43 years old, with a male predominance among those born in Italy. In contrast, Italians born abroad have a more balanced gender distribution and are, on average, younger.
Consolidated Italians Abroad
The consulates with the largest number of Italian residents are London, with almost 375 thousand Italians, and São Paulo, with just over 364 thousand.
These figures highlight the importance of these cities as main destinations for Italians living outside the country.
Recurrent migratory movements
In 2022, almost 100 Italians emigrated, while around 74 returned to Italy. The majority of emigrants went to European countries (79,6%), with the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Switzerland and Spain being the most common destinations.
Profile of emigrants
Italian emigrants in 2022 were predominantly young: 54% were between 20 and 39 years old and 18,4% were under 20 years old. Furthermore, a significant proportion of emigrants were well qualified, with 30,7% possessing at least a university degree. (Photo: Depositphotos)
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