The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Italy, Antonio Tajani, defended this Thursday (21) a simple thesis: if Italians have more children, the country could reduce the entry of foreign workers. The problem is that the country's own population data suggests that this calculation has a shelf life of at least two decades, and Italian industry cannot wait that long.
“If we have more children, we can reduce the number of legal migrants coming to work in our companies. Otherwise, we won’t have workers,” Tajani declared at an event about economics. The statement sounded reasonable on the microphone. Less reasonable when confronted with the 2026 age pyramid.
What the numbers say
Italy currently has 58,9 million inhabitants. According to data from PopulationPyramid.net for 2026, the largest segment of the population is concentrated in the 50-64 age group. The 5-29 age group, which will form the workforce in the coming decades, is proportionally smaller.
In other words, most Italians are past the stage of forming families with young children. The country is one of the most aged in the world. Any baby born today would only enter the job market between 2046 and 2051.
The gap that no one can close.
Tajani also acknowledged the problem, although without naming the contradiction. "The lower the birth rate, the greater the need for foreign workers in our companies," the Foreign Minister stated. He added: "With all that this entails, such as integration and the risks of illegal immigration."
The minister did not present any concrete measures to encourage birth rates, nor a timeframe for the strategy to produce results. For now, the proposal is a gamble on the distant future for a country in a hurry in the present.
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