The annual report Italian nel MondoThe Migrants Foundation warns that the 6,4 million Italian citizens living abroad are increasingly disconnected from the culture and information produced in their country of origin.
Presented on November 11, 2025, in Rome, the report marks its 20th edition with the title "Beyond the Escape: Talents, Brains, or Arms?". The study has more than 600 pages and is coordinated by sociologist Delfina Licata.
Currently, one in eight Italians lives outside of Italy. This group represents 12% of the national population, exceeding the number of foreigners living in the country. In absolute numbers, there are 6.412.752 Italians abroad, compared to 5,4 million immigrants on Italian soil.
Young people leave the country in search of opportunities.
Between January and December 2024, 123 people registered with AIRE, the official registry of Italians living abroad. This represents a 38% increase compared to the previous year.
Most emigrants are between 18 and 34 years old, single, and leave the country in search of stable work, opportunities for growth, and a better quality of life. They leave from all Italian provinces, with destinations such as... Germany, United Kingdom, Spain, Switzerland and France leading the list.
Over the past 20 years, there have been 1,6 million departures compared to 826 returns. This negative migration balance reinforces the trend of continuous and structural international mobility, which is no longer a one-off event but a recurring feature of Italian society.
A critique of the "brain drain" narrative.
The report questions the use of the expression "brain drain," which is considered simplistic and reductionist. According to the authors, the term transforms complex life trajectories into a dramatic and emotional view, which can generate feelings of guilt or exclusion.
The Migrants Foundation proposes a change in narrative: valuing the circulation of knowledge, cultural diversity, and the potential of each emigrant. "It is not enough to retain or lament the young people; it is necessary to involve them in the construction of collective visions," the study states.
Lack of attention from public media and cultural policy.
Despite the steady growth of the Italian diaspora, the country is not keeping pace with this movement through public policies or investments in communication and culture.
RAI, the Italian public broadcaster, offers few programs aimed at communities abroad. Its global reach is limited, and media representation of Italians outside of Italy is rare and often caricatured.
Support for Italian-language newspapers, radio, and television stations abroad is considered insufficient. The Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs allocate low budgets to promoting Italian culture overseas, compromising the dissemination of national identity and the strengthening of the Italian community abroad.
The forgotten “21st Region” of Italy
The strongest metaphor from the report It is seen by Italians abroad as a "21st Region" of the country. A symbolic territory with millions of citizens, yet ignored politically, culturally, and in the media.
This absence is seen as a waste of potential. According to the study, if there were an innovative cultural policy and an effective communication strategy, the Italian community abroad could transform itself into a true laboratory for exchange and strengthening of national identity.
📊 In numbers
Increase of 106% of Italians abroad since 2006
6,4 million of Italians living outside the country
Represent 12% of the total number of Italian citizens
123 thousand They moved in 2024 due to expatriation.
Growth of + 38 % in emigration in one year
54% They live in Europe, 41% in the Americas
990 thousand Italians live in Argentina.
849 thousand They are in Germany.
18-34 years This is the age group with the highest rate of emigration.
Negative net migration of -817 thousand in the last 20 years
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