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WHERE are all the bambini? Italians gave birth to fewer babies last year than at any time since the state formed in 1861. And they are not alone.
In 2014, there were 17 per cent more deaths than births, according to Istat, the national statistics office. Health minister Beatrice Lorenzin warned 鈥渨e are very close to the threshold of non-renewal鈥� we are a dying country鈥�.
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Italy鈥檚 fertility rate 鈥� an estimate of how many children an average woman is likely to have 鈥� is much lower than the replacement level. Just over 2 children per woman will maintain a population in the long term, but the current rate in Italy is only 1.39. And with a median age of 44.5, it is now the second-oldest country after Japan.
Some media reports blamed the low on the poor state of the Italian economy but some sociologists also point to a macho society that makes it hard for women to both work and bear children. Many choose the former.
But although Italy has the lowest fertility rate in Western Europe, fellow economic struggler Greece has a level of just 1.41 children per woman, and Spain 1.48.
The only reason Italy鈥檚 population is not already falling is because of the arrival of migrants. The country had a net inflow of more than 200,000 people last year. Most migrants are young: they keep up numbers, offset the country鈥檚 ageing population, and bolster fertility. Without them, Italy鈥檚 fertility rate would be only 1.29, says Istat.
This article appeared in print under the headline 鈥淚taly: a dying country?鈥�