Births fall for the fourth year in a row and emigration grows in Italy

Figures also show that in 2018, 120 thousand Italians went abroad, while 47 thousand returned

Italy's population shrank for the fourth year in a row and reached 60,391 million people, according to data released by the National Institute of Statistics (Istat) this Thursday (7).

The number, referring to January 1, 2019, counts 90 thousand fewer individuals than a year before. In 2018, 449 thousand births were registered in the country, 9 thousand fewer than in 2017, renewing the historic minimum.

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Furthermore, the proportion of foreigners in the population rose to 8,7%. The country has 55,157 million Italians and 5,234 million immigrants. In 2018, 120 Italian citizens went abroad, while only 47 returned.

Life expectancy increased by three months for women, reaching 85,2 years, and by two months for men, reaching 80,8 years. It is also the first time that Italy has recorded an average age at birth above 32 years old, which proves the trend that women are seeking to have children at an increasingly later age.

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By Ansa Agency