Rome
Italy’s population witnessed a continued decline in 2022, falling below the 59 million mark, as reported by the National Institute of Statistics (ISTAT). The 59 million threshold, initially surpassed in 2009, saw the population reaching 60.6 million in the subsequent year, marking a historic milestone in Italy’s demographic landscape. The latest census data, unveiled on Monday, revealed that as of December 31, 2022, the country’s population stood at 58,997,201, reflecting a decrease of 32,932 compared to the previous year. ISTAT highlighted a negative record in the number of births, with 393,000 recorded in 2022, resulting in a birth rate of 6.7 per thousand population. This figure was nearly 7,000 below the 2021 count and 183,000 less than the 2008 statistics. Contrary to the previous year, there was an upswing in births, with 53,000 babies born to non-Italian parents, constituting 13.5 per cent of all newborns in 2022. The decrease in population remains contained, thanks to the positive dynamics of the foreign population, emphasized ISTAT. The census indicated over 5.1 million foreign residents, witnessing an annual increase of 111,000, equivalent to 2.2 per cent of the total population. Foreign-born citizens accounted for 8.7 per cent of the overall resident population. Life expectancy at birth was estimated at 80.5 years for males and 84.8 years for females in 2022. According to ISTAT, 61.3 per cent of the country’s 7,904 municipalities experienced a decline in population compared to 2021. However, 2,936 larger municipalities saw a slight increase, collectively housing over 28.3 million people.
