| Demographics ofItaly | |
|---|---|
 Population pyramid of Italy as of 1 January 2023 | |
| Population |  58,934,177 (31 December 2024)[1] |
| Density | 201/km2 (520/sq mi) (2024) |
| Growth rate | -0.06% (2024) |
| Birth rate | 6.3 births/1,000 population (2024) |
| Death rate |  10.4 deaths/1,000 population (2024) |
| Life expectancy |  83.4 years (2024) |
| • male | 81.4 years |
| • female | 85.5 years |
| Fertility rate | 1.18 children born/woman (2024) |
| Infant mortality rate | 3.6 deaths/1,000 live births (2015)[2] |
| Net migration rate |  1.3 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2020) |
| Age structure | |
| 0–14 years | 12.89% |
| 15–64 years | 63.57% |
| 65 and over |  23.54% |
| Nationality | |
| Nationality | noun: Italian(s)adjective: Italian |
| Major ethnic | Italians (87.2%)(Native) |
| Minor ethnic |
|
| Language | |
| Official | Italian |
| Spoken | Languages of Italy |
Thedemography ofItaly is monitored by theItalian National Institute of Statistics (Istat).
At the beginning of 2024, Italy had an estimated population of 58.9 million.[1] Its population density, at 195.7 inhabitants per square kilometre (507/sq mi), is higher than both theEU (106.6/km2) andEuropean (72.9/km2) average. However, the distribution of the population is very uneven: the most densely populated areas are thePo Valley (with about a third of the country's population) innorthern Italy and the metropolitan areas ofRome andNaples incentral andsouthern Italy; landlocked, rural and mountainous areas are very sparsely populated, notably theAlps andApennines ranges, the plateaus ofBasilicata andPuglia, the inland highlands ofSicily and the Mediterranean island ofSardinia.
The population of the country almost doubled during the 20th century, but the pattern of growth was extremely uneven due to large-scaleinternal migration from the impoverished, largely rural South to the industrial cities of the North, especially during theItalian economic miracle of the 1950s and 1960s. In addition, after decades of net emigration, since the late 1980s Italy has experienced large-scale international immigration. As a result, in 2024 there were 5.4 million foreign-born residents in the country, or about 9.2% of Italy's total population.[1]
High fertility and birth rates persisted through the 1970s, then declined sharply in the 1980s and 1990s, leading to rapid population aging. At the end of the 2000s, one in five Italians was over 65 years old.[3] In 2024, Italy'stotal fertility rate was 1.18,[1] well below the EU average (1.38)[4] and one of the lowest in the world.
Since the revision of theLateran Treaty in 1984, Italy has noofficial religion, although theCatholic Church enjoys a privileged legal status and plays a prominent role in Italian society and politics.[5] In 2017, 78% of the population identified as Catholic, 15% as non-believers or atheists, 2% as other Christians and 6% adhered to other religions.[6]
After achieving itsits unification in 1861, Italy experienced a prolonged period of net emigration, mainly caused by the breakdown of traditional agrarian structures coupled with slow industrialization, that peaked in the years beforeWorld War I. Between 1898 and 1914, at the height ofItalian diaspora, up to 750,000 Italians left the country every year in search of brighter prospects.[7] As a consequence, significant numbers of people with Italian ancestry are found in Brazil (32 millionItalian Brazilians),[8][9] Argentina (25 millionItalian Argentines),[10] United States (18 millionItalian Americans),[11] France (5 millionItalian French),[12] Venezuela (5 millionItalian Venezuelans),[13] Paraguay (2.5 millionItalian Paraguayans),[14][15][16] Colombia (2 millionItalian Colombians),[17] Uruguay (1.5 millionItalian Uruguayans),[18] Peru (1.5 millionItalian Peruvians),[19] Canada (1.5 millionItalian Canadians),[20] Germany (1.2 millionItalian Germans)[21] and Australia (1 millionItalian Australians).[22]
In addition, Italian communities once thrived in the formerItalian colonial empire. There were about 100,000 settlers living inEritrea[23] andSomalia, and about 150,000 inLibya;[24] that mostly left Africa afterWorld War II anddecolonization.
After communistYugoslavia annexedIstria,Kvarner, most of theJulian March as well as theDalmatian city ofZara following theTreaty of Peace with Italy, 1947, up to 350,000 local ethnicItalians (Istrian Italians andDalmatian Italians) fled to Italy in theIstrian–Dalmatian exodus.[25][26] In addition,World War II itself caused half a million military and civiliancasualties. Finally, in 1970 about 20,000 Italians wereexpelled from Libya by Muammar Gaddafi's regime.[27]
Rapid economic growth in the 1950s, 1960s and early 1970s caused massive inflows of migrants from rural areas of Southern Italy to the so-called "industrial triangle", the area containing the major industrial cities ofMilan andTurin and the seaport ofGenoa, in north-west Italy. Between 1955 and 1971, around 9 million people are estimated to have been involved ininter-regional migrations, uprooting entire communities and creating large metropolitan areas.[28]
The rapid transition from agrarian to post-industrial society accelerated numerous demographic trends, including a sharp decline in fertility and birth rates, fast population aging and a shrinking workforce; by the 1980s emigration had all but stopped and Italy started to have a positive net migration rate.[29] By the 1990s, as Italy's TFR dropped below 1.2 and deaths outpaced births, international migration became the main driver of population growth.[30] Foreign-born residents in Italy increased from 1.3 million in 2001, to 4 million in 2011, and 5.2 million in 2021.[31]
In the 2010s, as a combined effect of theglobal financial crisis, theEurozone crisisdouble-dip recession and theArab Spring, Italy experienced a significant slowdown in legal international migration, that coincided with the arrival of more than150,000 illegal asylum seekers.[32]
As a direct effect of the 2020-2023COVID-19 pandemic, Italy registeredmore than 198,000 excess deaths, while the associated economic uncertainty and disruption of social relations have been linked to a marked decline in fertility rates across numerous Western countries, including Italy.[33] In subsequent years, the average number of births in Italy fell from 494,000 in 2010-19 to 399,000 in 2020-22, while deaths increased from 617,000 to 719,000; as a result, the natural balance declined form -123,000 to -320,000, largely not compensated by net migration,[34] discouraged by Covid-19 restrictions and theEconomic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
| Year | Pop. | ±% p.a. |
|---|---|---|
| 1861 | 21,777,334 | — |
| 1871 | 26,801,154 | +2.10% |
| 1881 | 28,459,628 | +0.60% |
| 1901 | 32,475,253 | +0.66% |
| 1911 | 34,671,377 | +0.66% |
| 1921 | 37,973,977 | +0.91% |
| 1931 | 41,176,671 | +0.81% |
| 1936 | 42,993,602 | +0.87% |
| 1951 | 47,515,537 | +0.67% |
| 1961 | 50,623,569 | +0.64% |
| 1971 | 54,136,547 | +0.67% |
| 1981 | 56,556,911 | +0.44% |
| 1991 | 56,778,031 | +0.04% |
| 2001 | 56,995,744 | +0.04% |
| 2011 | 59,433,744 | +0.42% |
| 2021 | 59,030,133 | −0.07% |
| 2025 | 58,934,177 | −0.04% |
| Source:ISTAT[35][36][37] | ||
Sources:Our World In Data and the United Nations.1871–1950
| Years | 1871 | 1872 | 1873 | 1874 | 1875 | 1876 | 1877 | 1878 | 1879 | 1880[39] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy | 29.8 | 29.7 | 31.6 | 31.8 | 31.3 | 33.6 | 34.9 | 34.3 | 34.0 | 32.8 |
| Years | 1881 | 1882 | 1883 | 1884 | 1885 | 1886 | 1887 | 1888 | 1889 | 1890[39] |
| Life expectancy | 34.2 | 34.3 | 35.2 | 36.6 | 36.9 | 35.1 | 36.0 | 37.0 | 39.1 | 38.5 |
| Years | 1891 | 1892 | 1893 | 1894 | 1895 | 1896 | 1897 | 1898 | 1899 | 1900[39] |
| Life expectancy | 38.5 | 38.9 | 39.8 | 40.0 | 39.6 | 40.7 | 43.3 | 42.3 | 43.7 | 67.8 |
| Years | 1901 | 1902 | 1903 | 1904 | 1905 | 1906 | 1907 | 1908 | 1909 | 1910[39] |
| Life expectancy | 43.5 | 43.0 | 43.1 | 44.4 | 43.9 | 45.1 | 45.4 | 43.1 | 44.6 | 46.7 |
| Years | 1911 | 1912 | 1913 | 1914 | 1915 | 1916 | 1917 | 1918 | 1919 | 1920[39] |
| Life expectancy | 44.7 | 48.9 | 48.4 | 49.9 | 42.5 | 39.6 | 38.1 | 25.8 | 42.3 | 45.5 |
| Years | 1921 | 1922 | 1923 | 1924 | 1925 | 1926 | 1927 | 1928 | 1929 | 1930[39] |
| Life expectancy | 49.2 | 50.0 | 51.4 | 51.5 | 51.3 | 50.9 | 52.5 | 52.6 | 52.3 | 55.2 |
| Years | 1931 | 1932 | 1933 | 1934 | 1935 | 1936 | 1937 | 1938 | 1939 | 1940[39] |
| Life expectancy | 54.8 | 54.7 | 56.3 | 56.8 | 56.2 | 56.7 | 55.5 | 56.1 | 57.6 | 57.0 |
| Years | 1941 | 1942 | 1943 | 1944 | 1945 | 1946 | 1947 | 1948 | 1949 | 1950[39] |
| Life expectancy | 54.7 | 52.5 | 49.4 | 52.4 | 54.9 | 59.0 | 61.2 | 63.4 | 64.1 | 65.8 |
1950–2020
| Period | Life expectancy in Years | Period | Life expectancy in Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1950–1955 | 66.5 | 1985–1990 | 76.4 |
| 1955–1960 | 68.4 | 1990–1995 | 77.5 |
| 1960–1965 | 69.7 | 1995–2000 | 78.8 |
| 1965–1970 | 70.9 | 2000–2005 | 80.3 |
| 1970–1975 | 72.2 | 2005–2010 | 81.5 |
| 1975–1980 | 73.6 | 2010–2015 | 82.4 |
| 1980–1985 | 74.9 | 2015–2020 | 83.3 |
Source:UN World Population Prospects[40]
Italy experienced a short-term growth in fertility and birth rates in the 2000s.[41] The TFR temporarily rose from an all-time low of 1.18 children per woman in 1995 to 1.46 in 2010.[42] By 2024, Italy's TFR dropped again to 1.18.[1] The decline in fertility, that in Italy and Spain is more pronounced that in northern European countries, has long puzzled demographers; some tentative explanations could be rooted in the lack of affordable childcare services and sociocultural norms regarding family building and female work participation.[43]
In 2021 this was 1.47 children born/woman
Mother's mean age at first birth; 31.1 years (2017 est.)
.
Median age
70.4% of Italian population is classified asurban,[44] a relatively low figure among developed countries. Italy's administrative boundaries have seen significantdevolution in recent decades; themetropolitan area was created as a new administrative unit, and major cities and metro areas now have aprovincial status.
According toOECD,[45] the largest conurbations are:
Urbanization
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| Metropolitan city | Region | Area (km2) | Population (1 January 2025) | Functional Urban Areas (FUA) Population (2016) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rome | Lazio | 5,352 | 4,223,885 | 4,414,288 |
| Milan | Lombardy | 1,575 | 3,247,623 | 5,111,481 |
| Naples | Campania | 1,171 | 2,958,410 | 3,418,061 |
| Turin | Piedmont | 6,829 | 2,207,873 | 1,769,475 |
| Palermo | Sicily | 5,009 | 1,194,439 | 1,033,226 |
| Bari | Apulia | 3,821 | 1,218,191 | 749,723 |
| Catania | Sicily | 3,574 | 1,058,563 | 658,805 |
| Florence | Tuscany | 3,514 | 989,460 | 807,896 |
| Bologna | Emilia-Romagna | 3,702 | 1,020,865 | 775,247 |
| Genoa | Liguria | 1,839 | 818,651 | 713,243 |
| Venice | Veneto | 2,462 | 833,934 | 561,697 |
| Messina | Sicily | 3,266 | 595,948 | 273,680 |
| Reggio Calabria | Calabria | 3,183 | 511,935 | 221,139 |
| Cagliari | Sardinia | 1,248 | 417,079 | 488,954 |
[48][49][50][51][52][53][54][55]
| Average population (1 January) | Live births | Deaths | Natural change | Crude birth rate (per 1,000) | Crude death rate (per 1,000) | Natural change (per 1,000) | Crude migration change (per 1,000) | Total fertility rates[fn 1][56][57] | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1862 | 26,328,000 | 991,000 | 815,000 | 176,000 | 37.7 | 30.9 | 6.7 | 4.93 | |
| 1863 | 26,507,000 | 1,026,000 | 824,000 | 202,000 | 38.7 | 31.1 | 7.6 | -0.9 | 4.90 |
| 1864 | 26,712,000 | 1,000,000 | 802,000 | 198,000 | 37.4 | 30.0 | 7.4 | 0.3 | 4.90 |
| 1865 | 26,915,000 | 1,024,000 | 812,000 | 212,000 | 38.0 | 30.1 | 7.9 | -0.3 | 4.91 |
| 1866 | 27,131,000 | 1,044,000 | 798,000 | 246,000 | 38.5 | 29.4 | 9.1 | -1.1 | 4.91 |
| 1867 | 27,381,000 | 991,000 | 935,000 | 56,000 | 36.2 | 34.1 | 2.0 | 7.1 | 4.92 |
| 1868 | 27,440,000 | 964,000 | 844,000 | 120,000 | 35.1 | 30.8 | 4.4 | -2.2 | 4.92 |
| 1869 | 27,561,000 | 1,016,000 | 777,000 | 239,000 | 36.9 | 28.2 | 8.7 | -4.3 | 4.91 |
| 1870 | 27,801,000 | 1,016,000 | 840,000 | 176,000 | 36.5 | 30.2 | 6.3 | 2.3 | 4.90 |
| 1871 | 27,974,000 | 1,026,000 | 845,000 | 181,000 | 36.7 | 30.2 | 6.5 | -0.3 | 4.90 |
| 1872 | 28,151,000 | 1,060,000 | 868,000 | 192,000 | 37.7 | 30.9 | 6.8 | -0.5 | 4.89 |
| 1873 | 28,314,000 | 1,023,000 | 854,000 | 169,000 | 36.1 | 30.1 | 6.0 | -0.2 | 4.88 |
| 1874 | 28,459,000 | 985,000 | 868,000 | 117,000 | 34.6 | 30.5 | 4.1 | 1.0 | 4.89 |
| 1875 | 28,551,000 | 1,072,000 | 885,000 | 187,000 | 37.5 | 31.0 | 6.5 | -3.3 | 4.90 |
| 1876 | 28,709,000 | 1,121,000 | 835,000 | 286,000 | 39.0 | 29.1 | 10.0 | -4.5 | 4.90 |
| 1877 | 28,964,000 | 1,063,000 | 823,000 | 240,000 | 36.7 | 28.4 | 8.3 | 0.5 | 4.91 |
| 1878 | 29,169,000 | 1,046,000 | 850,000 | 196,000 | 35.8 | 29.1 | 6.7 | 0.3 | 4.92 |
| 1879 | 29,334,000 | 1,097,000 | 873,000 | 224,000 | 37.4 | 29.7 | 7.6 | -2.0 | 4.95 |
| 1880 | 29,516,000 | 989,000 | 906,000 | 83,000 | 33.5 | 30.7 | 2.8 | 3.4 | 4.98 |
| 1881 | 29,552,000 | 1,112,000 | 819,000 | 293,000 | 37.7 | 27.7 | 9.9 | -8.7 | 5.00 |
| 1882 | 29,791,000 | 1,090,000 | 825,000 | 265,000 | 36.6 | 27.7 | 8.9 | -0.9 | 5.03 |
| 1883 | 30,005,000 | 1,101,000 | 830,000 | 271,000 | 36.7 | 27.7 | 9.0 | -1.9 | 5.06 |
| 1884 | 30,221,000 | 1,162,000 | 816,000 | 346,000 | 38.5 | 27.0 | 11.4 | -4.3 | 5.05 |
| 1885 | 30,511,000 | 1,156,000 | 823,000 | 333,000 | 37.9 | 27.0 | 10.9 | -1.4 | 5.04 |
| 1886 | 30,776,000 | 1,117,000 | 882,000 | 235,000 | 36.3 | 28.7 | 7.6 | 1.0 | 5.04 |
| 1887 | 30,937,000 | 1,184,000 | 864,000 | 320,000 | 38.2 | 27.9 | 10.4 | -5.2 | 5.03 |
| 1888 | 31,160,000 | 1,149,000 | 855,000 | 294,000 | 36.9 | 27.4 | 9.4 | -2.3 | 5.02 |
| 1889 | 31,325,000 | 1,178,000 | 801,000 | 377,000 | 37.6 | 25.6 | 12.0 | -6.8 | 4.98 |
| 1890 | 31,611,000 | 1,110,000 | 830,000 | 280,000 | 35.1 | 26.2 | 8.9 | 0.2 | 4.95 |
| 1891 | 31,792,000 | 1,159,000 | 829,000 | 330,000 | 36.5 | 26.1 | 10.4 | -4.7 | 4.92 |
| 1892 | 31,992,000 | 1,137,000 | 837,000 | 300,000 | 35.6 | 26.2 | 9.4 | -3.1 | 4.88 |
| 1893 | 32,189,000 | 1,154,000 | 809,000 | 345,000 | 35.9 | 25.2 | 10.7 | -4.6 | 4.84 |
| 1894 | 32,417,000 | 1,130,000 | 808,000 | 322,000 | 34.9 | 24.9 | 10.0 | -2.9 | 4.79 |
| 1895 | 32,608,000 | 1,120,000 | 817,000 | 303,000 | 34.4 | 25.1 | 9.3 | -3.4 | 4.74 |
| 1896 | 32,770,000 | 1,123,000 | 790,000 | 333,000 | 34.3 | 24.1 | 10.2 | -5.2 | 4.69 |
| 1897 | 32,955,000 | 1,128,000 | 725,000 | 403,000 | 34.2 | 22.0 | 12.2 | -6.6 | 4.64 |
| 1898 | 33,200,000 | 1,097,000 | 762,000 | 335,000 | 33.0 | 22.9 | 10.1 | -2.7 | 4.59 |
| 1899 | 33,369,000 | 1,116,000 | 734,000 | 382,000 | 33.5 | 22.0 | 11.4 | -6.4 | 4.56 |
| 1900 | 32,377,000 | 1,067,376 | 768,917 | 298,459 | 33.0 | 23.7 | 9.2 | -3.9 | 4.53 |
| 1901 | 32,550,000 | 1,057,763 | 715,036 | 342,727 | 32.5 | 22.0 | 10.5 | -3.2 | 4.49 |
| 1902 | 32,787,000 | 1,093,074 | 727,181 | 365,893 | 33.3 | 22.2 | 11.2 | -4.6 | 4.46 |
| 1903 | 33,004,000 | 1,042,090 | 736,311 | 305,779 | 31.6 | 22.3 | 9.3 | -2.2 | 4.43 |
| 1904 | 33,237,000 | 1,085,431 | 698,604 | 386,827 | 32.7 | 21.0 | 11.6 | -4.0 | 4.44 |
| 1905 | 33,489,000 | 1,084,518 | 730,340 | 354,178 | 32.4 | 21.8 | 10.6 | -3.8 | 4.45 |
| 1906 | 33,718,000 | 1,070,978 | 696,875 | 374,103 | 31.8 | 20.7 | 11.1 | -4.2 | 4.45 |
| 1907 | 33,952,000 | 1,062,333 | 700,333 | 362,000 | 31.3 | 20.6 | 10.7 | -3.5 | 4.46 |
| 1908 | 34,198,000 | 1,138,813 | 770,054 | 368,759 | 33.3 | 22.5 | 10.8 | -3.3 | 4.47 |
| 1909 | 34,455,000 | 1,115,831 | 738,460 | 377,371 | 32.4 | 21.4 | 11.0 | -2.4 | 4.43 |
| 1910 | 34,751,000 | 1,144,410 | 682,459 | 461,951 | 32.9 | 19.6 | 13.3 | -5.2 | 4.39 |
| 1911 | 35,033,000 | 1,093,545 | 742,811 | 350,734 | 31.2 | 21.2 | 10.0 | -3.9 | 4.36 |
| 1912 | 35,246,000 | 1,133,985 | 635,788 | 498,197 | 32.2 | 18.0 | 14.1 | -11.1 | 4.32 |
| 1913 | 35,351,000 | 1,122,482 | 663,966 | 458,516 | 31.8 | 18.8 | 13.0 | -3.1 | 4.28 |
| 1914 | 35,701,000 | 1,114,091 | 643,355 | 470,736 | 31.2 | 18.0 | 13.2 | 2.8 | 4.04 |
| 1915 | 36,271,000 | 1,109,183 | 809,703 | 299,480 | 30.6 | 22.3 | 8.3 | -2.5 | 3.80 |
| 1916 | 36,481,000 | 881,626 | 854,703 | 26,923 | 24.2 | 23.4 | 0.7 | -4.5 | 3.56 |
| 1917 | 36,343,000 | 691,207 | 948,710 | -257,503 | 19.6 | 26.1 | -7.1 | -4.5 | 3.32 |
| 1918 | 35,922,000 | 640,263 | 1,268,290 | -628,027 | 18.2 | 35.3 | -17.5 | 11.8 | 3.08 |
| 1919 | 35,717,000 | 770,620 | 676,329 | 94,291 | 21.6 | 18.9 | 2.6 | 4.2 | 3.24 |
| 1920 | 35,960,000 | 1,158,041 | 681,749 | 476,292 | 32.2 | 19.0 | 13.2 | 39.9 | 3.41 |
| 1921 | 37,869,000 | 1,118,344 | 670,234 | 448,110 | 30.7 | 17.7 | 13.0 | -4.4 | 3.57 |
| 1922 | 38,196,000 | 1,127,444 | 690,054 | 437,390 | 30.8 | 18.1 | 12.7 | -2.9 | 3.74 |
| 1923 | 38,571,000 | 1,107,505 | 654,827 | 452,678 | 29.9 | 17.0 | 11.7 | -2.5 | 3.90 |
| 1924 | 38,927,000 | 1,124,470 | 663,077 | 461,393 | 28.9 | 17.0 | 11.9 | -3.2 | 3.81 |
| 1925 | 39,265,000 | 1,109,761 | 669,695 | 440,066 | 28.2 | 17.1 | 11.2 | -2.9 | 3.72 |
| 1926 | 39,590,000 | 1,094,587 | 680,274 | 414,313 | 27.7 | 17.2 | 10.5 | -2.0 | 3.64 |
| 1927 | 39,926,000 | 1,093,772 | 639,843 | 453,929 | 27.4 | 16.0 | 11.4 | -2.5 | 3.55 |
| 1928 | 40,281,000 | 1,072,316 | 645,654 | 426,662 | 26.6 | 16.0 | 10.6 | -2.5 | 3.46 |
| 1929 | 40,607,000 | 1,037,700 | 667,223 | 370,477 | 25.6 | 16.4 | 9.1 | -0.5 | 3.42 |
| 1930 | 40,956,000 | 1,092,678 | 576,751 | 515,927 | 26.7 | 14.1 | 12.6 | -3.2 | 3.38 |
| 1931 | 41,339,000 | 1,026,197 | 609,405 | 416,792 | 24.8 | 14.7 | 10.1 | -4.2 | 3.21 |
| 1932 | 41,584,000 | 990,995 | 610,646 | 380,349 | 23.8 | 14.7 | 9.1 | -0.8 | 3.06 |
| 1933 | 41,928,000 | 995,979 | 574,113 | 421,866 | 23.8 | 13.7 | 10.1 | -1.8 | 3.04 |
| 1934 | 42,277,000 | 992,966 | 563,339 | 429,627 | 23.5 | 13.3 | 10.2 | -1.8 | 3.00 |
| 1935 | 42,631,000 | 996,708 | 594,722 | 401,986 | 23.4 | 14.0 | 9.4 | -1.6 | 2.98 |
| 1936 | 42,965,000 | 962,686 | 593,380 | 369,306 | 22.4 | 13.8 | 8.6 | -1.5 | 2.87 |
| 1937 | 43,269,000 | 991,867 | 618,290 | 373,577 | 22.9 | 14.3 | 8.6 | -1.0 | 2.93 |
| 1938 | 43,596,000 | 1,037,180 | 614,988 | 422,192 | 23.8 | 14.1 | 9.7 | 0 | 3.05 |
| 1939 | 44,018,000 | 1,040,213 | 591,483 | 448,730 | 23.6 | 13.4 | 10.2 | 0 | 3.07 |
| 1940 | 44,467,000 | 1,046,479 | 606,907 | 439,572 | 23.5 | 13.6 | 9.9 | -1.7 | 3.07 |
| 1941 | 44,830,000 | 937,546 | 621,735 | 315,811 | 20.9 | 13.9 | 7.0 | -1.0 | 2.74 |
| 1942 | 45,098,000 | 926,063 | 643,607 | 282,456 | 20.5 | 14.3 | 6.3 | -16.4 | 2.69 |
| 1943 | 44,641,000 | 882,105 | 679,708 | 202,397 | 19.8 | 15.2 | 4.5 | -1.1 | 2.61 |
| 1944 | 44,794,000 | 814,746 | 685,171 | 129,575 | 18.3 | 15.3 | 2.9 | 0.5 | 2.39 |
| 1945 | 44,946,000 | 815,678 | 615,092 | 200,586 | 18.2 | 13.7 | 4.5 | 2.3 | 2.37 |
| 1946 | 45,253,000 | 1,036,098 | 547,952 | 488,146 | 23.0 | 12.1 | 10.8 | -2.2 | 3.01 |
| 1947 | 45,641,000 | 1,011,490 | 524,019 | 487,471 | 22.2 | 11.5 | 10.8 | 5.4 | 2.89 |
| 1948 | 46,381,000 | 1,005,851 | 490,450 | 515,401 | 21.8 | 10.6 | 11.2 | -3.6 | 2.83 |
| 1949 | 46,733,000 | 937,146 | 485,277 | 451,869 | 20.1 | 10.4 | 9.7 | -1.8 | 2.62 |
| 1950 | 47,104,000 | 908,622 | 455,169 | 453,453 | 19.3 | 9.7 | 9.6 | -3.0 | 2.50 |
| 1951 | 47,417,000 | 860,998 | 485,208 | 375,790 | 18.2 | 10.2 | 7.9 | -2.6 | 2.35 |
| 1952 | 47,666,000[58] | 863,661 | 488,470 | 375,191 | 17.7 | 10.0 | 7.7 | -1.6 | 2.34 |
| 1953 | 47,957,000 | 860,345 | 484,527 | 375,818 | 17.5 | 9.9 | 7.6 | -0.5 | 2.31 |
| 1954 | 48,299,000 | 881,845 | 445,902 | 435,943 | 18.0 | 9.1 | 8.9 | -2.0 | 2.35 |
| 1955 | 48,633,000 | 879,130 | 449,058 | 430,072 | 17.9 | 9.2 | 8.7 | -2.8 | 2.33 |
| 1956 | 48,920,000 | 884,043 | 499,504 | 384,539 | 17.9 | 10.2 | 7.7 | -2.4 | 2.34 |
| 1957 | 49,181,000 | 885,812 | 483,558 | 402.254 | 17.9 | 9.8 | 8.0 | -2.0 | 2.33 |
| 1958 | 49,475,000 | 880,361 | 459,366 | 420,995 | 17.6 | 9.3 | 8.3 | -1.1 | 2.31 |
| 1959 | 49,831,000 | 910,628 | 454,547 | 456,081 | 18.1 | 9.1 | 9.0 | -1.6 | 2.38 |
| 1960 | 50,198,000 | 923,004 | 480,848 | 442,156 | 18.1 | 9.6 | 8.6 | -2.1 | 2.41 |
| 1961 | 50,523,000 | 924,203 | 460,009 | 464,194 | 18.4 | 9.3 | 9.1 | -2.1 | 2.41 |
| 1962 | 50,878,000 | 945,842 | 503,106 | 442,736 | 18.4 | 10.0 | 8.4 | -1.1 | 2.46 |
| 1963 | 51,251,000 | 978,143 | 514,000 | 464,143 | 18.8 | 10.1 | 8.7 | -0.4 | 2.56 |
| 1964 | 51,675,000 | 1,035,207 | 488,601 | 546,606 | 19.7 | 9.5 | 10.2 | -1.7 | 2.70 |
| 1965 | 52,112,000 | 1,017,944 | 516,922 | 501,022 | 19.1 | 10.0 | 9.1 | -1.3 | 2.66 |
| 1966 | 52,518,000 | 999,316 | 493,562 | 505,754 | 18.7 | 9.5 | 9.2 | -1.9 | 2.62 |
| 1967 | 52,900,000 | 962,197 | 507,845 | 454,352 | 18.0 | 9.7 | 8.3 | -2.0 | 2.53 |
| 1968 | 53,235,000 | 944,837 | 530,738 | 414,099 | 17.6 | 10.1 | 7.5 | -1.8 | 2.49 |
| 1969 | 53,538,000 | 949,155 | 530,348 | 418,807 | 17.5 | 10.1 | 7.4 | -2.1 | 2.51 |
| 1970 | 53,821,000 | 917,496 | 528,622 | 388,874 | 16.8 | 9.7 | 7.1 | -2.4 | 2.42 |
| 1971 | 54,073,000 | 911,084 | 515,318 | 395,766 | 16.8 | 9.7 | 7.1 | -1.4 | 2.41 |
| 1972 | 54,381,000 | 893,061 | 518,020 | 375,041 | 16.3 | 9.6 | 6.7 | 0.1 | 2.36 |
| 1973 | 54,751,000 | 887,953 | 544,461 | 343,492 | 16.0 | 10.0 | 6.0 | 0.6 | 2.34 |
| 1974 | 55,111,000 | 886,310 | 532,753 | 353,557 | 15.8 | 9.7 | 6.1 | -0.1 | 2.33 |
| 1975 | 55,441,000 | 841,858 | 556,019 | 285,839 | 14.9 | 10.0 | 4.9 | 0.1 | 2.20 |
| 1976 | 55,718,000 | 806,358 | 556,143 | 250,215 | 14.0 | 9.9 | 4.1 | 0.2 | 2.11 |
| 1977 | 55,955,000 | 757,281 | 547,011 | 210,270 | 13.2 | 9.8 | 3.5 | 0.1 | 1.97 |
| 1978 | 56,155,000 | 720,545 | 539,685 | 180,860 | 12.6 | 9.6 | 3.0 | -0.1 | 1.87 |
| 1979 | 56,318,000 | 682,742 | 541,825 | 140,917 | 11.9 | 9.6 | 2.3 | -0.2 | 1.76 |
| 1980 | 56,434,000 | 657,278 | 559,376 | 97,902 | 11.3 | 9.8 | 1.5 | -0.3 | 1.68 |
| 1981 | 56,502,000 | 628,113 | 540,764 | 87,349 | 11.0 | 9.7 | 1.4 | -0.7 | 1.60 |
| 1982 | 56,544,000 | 634,678 | 537,727 | 96,951 | 10.9 | 9.5 | 1.5 | -1.1 | 1.60 |
| 1983 | 56,564,000 | 612,936 | 563,807 | 49,129 | 10.6 | 10.0 | 0.7 | -0.5 | 1.54 |
| 1984 | 56,577,000 | 597,560 | 535,661 | 61,899 | 10.4 | 9.5 | 0.9 | -0.6 | 1.48 |
| 1985 | 56,593,000 | 589,233 | 549,529 | 39,704 | 10.2 | 9.7 | 0.5 | -0.4 | 1.45 |
| 1986 | 56,596,000 | 562,512 | 545,189 | 17,323 | 9.8 | 9.5 | 0.3 | -0.2 | 1.37 |
| 1987 | 56,602,000 | 560,265 | 534,993 | 25,272 | 9.7 | 9.3 | 0.5 | 0 | 1.35 |
| 1988 | 56,629,000 | 577,856 | 537,545 | 40,311 | 10.1 | 9.5 | 0.5 | 0.3 | 1.38 |
| 1989 | 56,672,000 | 567,268 | 531,557 | 35,711 | 9.9 | 9.4 | 0.5 | 0.3 | 1.35 |
| 1990 | 56,719,000 | 580,761 | 544,397 | 36,364 | 10.0 | 9.6 | 0.5 | 0.2 | 1.36 |
| 1991 | 56,759,000 | 556,175 | 547,131 | 9,044 | 9.9 | 9.8 | 0.2 | 0.5 | 1.32 |
| 1992 | 56,797,000 | 575,216 | 545,038 | 30,178 | 10.0 | 9.6 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 1.32 |
| 1993 | 56,832,000 | 552,587 | 555,043 | -2,456 | 9.7 | 9.7 | -0.1 | 0.3 | 1.26 |
| 1994 | 56,843,000 | 536,665 | 557,513 | -20,848 | 9.4 | 9.8 | -0.4 | 0.4 | 1.22 |
| 1995 | 56,844,000 | 526,064 | 555,203 | -29,139 | 9.2 | 9.8 | -0.5 | 0.8 | 1.19 |
| 1996 | 56,860,000 | 536,740 | 557,756 | -21,016 | 9.3 | 9.8 | -0.5 | 1.0 | 1.22 |
| 1997 | 56,890,000 | 540,048 | 564,679 | -24,631 | 9.4 | 9.9 | -0.5 | 0.8 | 1.23 |
| 1998 | 56,907,000 | 532,843 | 576,911 | -44,068 | 9.3 | 10.1 | -0.8 | 1.0 | 1.21 |
| 1999 | 56,917,000 | 537,242 | 571,356 | -34,114 | 9.4 | 10.0 | -0.5 | 0.9 | 1.23 |
| 2000 | 56,942,000 | 543,039 | 560,241 | -17,202 | 9.5 | 9.8 | -0.3 | 0.9 | 1.26 |
| 2001 | 56,974,000 | 535,282 | 548,254 | -12,972 | 9.4 | 9.8 | -0.4 | 1.9 | 1.25 |
| 2002 | 57,059,000 | 538,198 | 557,393 | -19,195 | 9.4 | 9.8 | -0.4 | 4.9 | 1.27 |
| 2003 | 57,313,000 | 544,063 | 586,468 | -42,405 | 9.5 | 10.3 | -0.7 | 7.2 | 1.29 |
| 2004 | 57,685,000 | 562,599 | 546,658 | 15,941 | 9.8 | 9.5 | 0.3 | 4.6 | 1.34 |
| 2005 | 57,969,000 | 554,022 | 567,304 | -13,282 | 9.5 | 9.8 | -0.2 | 3.2 | 1.33 |
| 2006 | 58,144,000 | 560,010 | 557,892 | 2,118 | 9.6 | 9.6 | 0.0 | 5.1 | 1.37 |
| 2007 | 58,438,000 | 563,933 | 570,801 | -6,868 | 9.6 | 9.8 | -0.2 | 6.9 | 1.39 |
| 2008 | 58,827,000 | 576,659 | 585,126 | -8,467 | 9.8 | 9.9 | -0.1 | 4.7 | 1.44 |
| 2009 | 59,095,000 | 568,857 | 591,663 | -22,806 | 9.6 | 9.8 | -0.3 | 3.4 | 1.44 |
| 2010 | 59,277,000 | 561,944 | 587,488 | -25,544 | 9.4 | 9.7 | -0.3 | 2.0 | 1.44 |
| 2011 | 59,379,000 | 546,585 | 593,402 | -46,817 | 9.1 | 9.9 | -0.8 | 3.5 | 1.44 |
| 2012 | 59,540,000 | 534,186 | 612,883 | -78,697 | 8.9 | 10.2 | -1.3 | 13.0 | 1.42 |
| 2013 | 60,234,000 | 514,308 | 600,744 | -86,436 | 8.5 | 10.0 | -1.4 | 10.6 | 1.39 |
| 2014 | 60,789,000 | 502,596 | 598,364 | -95,768 | 8.3 | 9.9 | -1.6 | 1.7 | 1.38 |
| 2015 | 60,796,000 | 485,780 | 647,571 | -161,791 | 8.1 | 10.7 | -2.7 | 0.6 | 1.36 |
| 2016 | 60,666,000 | 473,438 | 615,261 | -141,823 | 7.9 | 10.2 | -2.4 | 1.0 | 1.36 |
| 2017 | 60,579,000 | 458,151 | 649,061 | -190,910 | 7.6 | 10.8 | -3.2 | 1.6 | 1.34 |
| 2018 | 60,484,000 | 439,747 | 633,133 | -193,386 | 7.3 | 10.6 | -3.2 | -7.8 | 1.31 |
| 2019 | 59,816,673 | 420,084 | 634,417 | -214,333 | 7.0 | 10.6 | -3.6 | 0.7 | 1.27 |
| 2020 | 59,641,488 | 404,892 | 740,317 | -335,425 | 6.8 | 12.4 | -5.6 | -1.2 | 1.24 |
| 2021 | 59,236,213 | 400,249 | 701,346 | -301,097 | 6.8 | 11.8 | -5.2 | 1.7 | 1.25 |
| 2022 | 59,030,133 | 393,333 | 715,077 | -321,744 | 6.8 | 12.1 | -5.4 | 4.8 | 1.24 |
| 2023 | 58,997,201 | 379,890 | 671,065 | -291,175 | 6.4 | 11.2 | -4.8 | 4.7 | 1.20 |
| 2024 | 58,971,230 | 369,944 | 650,587 | -280,643 | 6.3 | 10.8 | -4.5 | 4.1 | 1.18 |
| 2025 | 58,934,177 |
In the year 2024, 80,761 babies were born to at least one foreign parent which makes up 21.83 percent of all newborns in that year (20,336 or 5.50 percent were born to foreign mothers, 9,832 or 2.66 percent to foreign fathers, and 50,593 or 13.68 percent to two foreign parents). In Southern Italy (including Sicily and Sardinia) only 9.47 percent of all newborns had 1 or 2 foreign parents, while in Central and Northern Italy their share reached 23.98 and 30.55 percent, respectively.[59]
| Period | Live births | Deaths | Natural change |
|---|---|---|---|
| January—July 2024 | 210,938 | 375,606 | -164,668 |
| January—July 2025 | 197,956 | 379,056 | -181,100 |
| Difference | -12,982 (-6.22%) | +3,450 (+0.54%) | -16,432 |
| Source:[53] | |||
Total fertility rate (TFR) in Italy byregion as of 2024:
| Region | TFR |
|---|---|
 Trentino-Alto Adige | 1.39 |
 Sicily | 1.27 |
 Campania | 1.26 |
 Calabria | 1.25 |
 Veneto | 1.20 |
 Emilia-Romagna | 1.19 |
 Lombardy | 1.19 |
 Friuli-Venezia Giulia | 1.19 |
 Italy | 1.18 |
 Apulia | 1.16 |
 Liguria | 1.16 |
 Piedmont | 1.14 |
 Abruzzo | 1.12 |
 Tuscany | 1.12 |
 Lazio | 1.12 |
 Marche | 1.11 |
 Umbria | 1.11 |
 Basilicata | 1.09 |
 Aosta Valley | 1.05 |
 Molise | 1.04 |
 Sardinia | 0.91 |
| Age Group | Male | Female | Total | % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 28 866 226 | 30 369 987 | 59 236 213 | 100 |
| 0–4 | 1 138 845 | 1 077 665 | 2 216 510 | 3.74 |
| 5–9 | 1 326 061 | 1 252 279 | 2 578 340 | 4.35 |
| 10–14 | 1 463 873 | 1 377 822 | 2 841 695 | 4.80 |
| 15–19 | 1 476 815 | 1 380 198 | 2 857 013 | 4.82 |
| 20–24 | 1 549 500 | 1 407 840 | 2 957 340 | 4.99 |
| 25–29 | 1 566 265 | 1 479 314 | 3 045 579 | 5.14 |
| 30–34 | 1 633 887 | 1 592 259 | 3 226 146 | 5.45 |
| 35–39 | 1 747 529 | 1 735 723 | 3 483 252 | 5.88 |
| 40–44 | 2 001 502 | 2 007 068 | 4 008 570 | 6.77 |
| 45–49 | 2 329 457 | 2 363 044 | 4 692 501 | 7.92 |
| 50–54 | 2 377 041 | 2 440 634 | 4 817 675 | 8.13 |
| 55–59 | 2 261 108 | 2 362 857 | 4 623 965 | 7.81 |
| 60–64 | 1 901 209 | 2 044 887 | 3 946 096 | 6.66 |
| 65-69 | 1 652 948 | 1 821 385 | 3 474 333 | 5.87 |
| 70-74 | 1 609 510 | 1 831 661 | 3 441 171 | 5.81 |
| 75-79 | 1 140 634 | 1 406 576 | 2 547 210 | 4.30 |
| 80-84 | 953 118 | 1 324 845 | 2 277 963 | 3.85 |
| 85-89 | 513 213 | 882 889 | 1 396 102 | 2.36 |
| 90-94 | 186 194 | 443 464 | 629 658 | 1.06 |
| 95-99 | 34 670 | 123 247 | 157 917 | 0.27 |
| 100-104 | 2 728 | 13 404 | 16 132 | 0.03 |
| 105-109 | 117 | 907 | 1 024 | <0.01 |
| 110+ | 2 | 19 | 21 | <0.01 |
| Age group | Male | Female | Total | Percent |
| 0–14 | 3 928 779 | 3 707 766 | 7 636 545 | 12.89 |
| 15–64 | 18 844 313 | 18 813 824 | 37 658 137 | 63.57 |
| 65+ | 6 093 134 | 7 848 397 | 13 941 531 | 23.54 |
Obesity – adult prevalence rate
Unemployment, youth ages 15–24:
Since the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, and more recently, the2004 and2007 enlargements of the European Union, Italy received growing flows of migrants from the former socialist countries of Eastern Europe (especiallyRomania,Albania,Ukraine andPoland).[62] The second most important area of immigration to Italy has always been the neighboring North Africa (especiallyMorocco,Egypt,Tunisia andAlgeria).[63] Furthermore, in recent years, growing migration fluxes from the Far East (notably,China[64] and thePhilippines) and Latin America (Ecuador,Peru) have been recorded.
Italy does not collect data on ethnicity or race of the country, but does collect data on nationality of its residents.[65]
In 2021,Istat estimated that 5,171,894 foreign citizens lived in Italy, representing about 8.7% of the total population.[66] These figures do not includenaturalized foreign-born residents (121,457 foreigners acquiredItalian citizenship in 2021)[67] as well asillegal immigrants, the so-calledclandestini, whose numbers, difficult to determine, are thought to be at least 670,000.[68]Romanians made up the largest community in the country (1,145,718; around 10% of them being ethnicRomani people[69]), followed byAlbanians (441,027) andMoroccans (422,980).[70][71]
The fourth largest community of foreign residents in Italy was represented by theChinese.[72] The majority of Chinese living in Italy are from the city ofWenzhou in the province ofZhejiang.[73] Breaking down the foreign-born population by continent, in 2020 the figures were as follows: Europe (54%), Africa (22%), Asia (16%), the Americas (8%) and Oceania (0.06%). The distribution of immigrants is largely uneven in Italy: 83% of immigrants live in the northern and central parts of the country (the most economically developed areas), while only 17% live in the southern half of the peninsula.[74]
| Nationality groups | Year | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002[75] | 2005[75] | 2010[75] | 2015[75] | 2019[76] | 2021[77] | 2023[78] | ||||||||
| Number | % | Number | % | Number | % | Number | % | Number | % | Number | % | Number | % | |
| Italians | 55,651,856 | 97.64% | 55,775,350 | 96.09% | 55,853,967 | 93.57% | 55,460,252 | 91.98% | 54,820,515 | 91.65% | 54,064,319 | 91.27% | 53,855,860 | 91.29% |
| Foreigners | 1,341,414 | 2.36% | 2,269,018 | 3.91% | 3,836,349 | 6.43% | 4,835,245 | 8.02% | 4,996,158 | 8.35% | 5,171,894 | 8.73% | 5,141,341 | 8.71% |
 EU-27 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1,472,847 | 2.46% | 1,406,623 | 2.47% | 1,393,782 | 2.36% |
| Other European | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1,036,761 | 1.73% | 1,053,765 | 1.78% | 1,024,029 | 1.74% |
| Northern Africa | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 639,994 | 1.07% | 689,649 | 1.16% | 689,083 | 1.17% |
| Central and South Asia | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 528,182 | 0.88% | 605,000 | 1.02% | 619,671 | 1.05% |
| Eastern Asia | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 464,557 | 0.78% | 521,686 | 0.88% | 489,804 | 0.83% |
| Western Africa | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 389,602 | 0.65% | 400,112 | 0.68% | 401,218 | 0.68% |
| Central and South America | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 345,466 | 0.58% | 366,062 | 0.62% | 370,415 | 0.63% |
| Western Asia | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 36,914 | – | 44,272 | – | 71,761 | – |
| Eastern Africa | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 37,131 | – | 35,486 | – | 35,833 | – |
| Central and South Africa | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 24,919 | – | 25,343 | – | 25,299 | – |
| Northern America | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 17,082 | – | 21,216 | – | 17,812 | – |
| Oceania | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 2,120 | – | 2,248 | – | 1,991 | – |
| Stateless | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 583 | – | 432 | – | 643 | – |
| Total | 56,993,270 | 100% | 58,044,368 | 100% | 59,690,316 | 100% | 60,295,497 | 100% | 59,816,673 | 100% | 59,236,213 | 100% | 58,997,201 | 100% |
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 2002 | 1,341,209[79] |
| 2003 | 1,464,663[79] |
| 2004 | 1,854,748[79] |
| 2005 | 2,210,478[79] |
| 2006 | 2,419,483[79] |
| 2007 | 2,592,950[79] |
| 2008 | 3,023,317[79] |
| 2009 | 3,402,435[79] |
| 2010 | 3,648,128[79] |
| 2011 | 3,879,224[79] |
| 2012 | 4,052,081[80] |
| 2013 | 4,387,721[81] |
| 2014 | 4,922,085[82] |
| 2015 | 5,014,437[83] |
| 2016 | 5,026,153[84] |
| 2017 | 5,047,028[85] |
| 2018 | 5,144,440[86] |
| 2019 | 5,255,503[87] |
| 2020 | 5,013,215[88] |
| 2021 | 5,171,894 (8.7%)[89] |
There are, as of 2022, 5,030,716 Foreign-born residents, accounting for 8.5% of the total population.
Their distribution by country of origin was as follows:
| Country | Population[90] |
|---|---|
 Romania | 1,081,836 |
 Albania | 416,829 |
 Morocco | 415,088 |
 China | 307,038 |
 Ukraine | 249,613 |
 Bangladesh | 174,058 |
 India | 167,333 |
 Philippines | 158,926 |
 Egypt | 147,797 |
 Pakistan | 144,129 |
 Nigeria | 123,646 |
 Senegal | 112,598 |
 Sri Lanka | 109,828 |
 Moldova | 109,804 |
 Tunisia | 102,422 |
 Peru | 98,733 |
 Poland | 74,387 |
 Ecuador | 63,211 |
 Brazil | 51,125 |
 North Macedonia | 51,090 |
 Bulgaria | 49,518 |
 Ghana | 47,335 |
 Russia | 39,705 |
 Kosovo | 36,372 |
 Germany | 34,003 |
 Serbia | 30,835 |
 France | 29,942 |
 Dominican Republic | 29,571 |
 Georgia | 29,222 |
 Ivory Coast | 28,559 |
 Spain | 27,854 |
 United Kingdom | 27,758 |
 Cuba | 23,351 |
 El Salvador | 22,693 |
 Gambia | 22,637 |
 Mali | 21,032 |
 Colombia | 20,856 |
 Bosnia and Herzegovina | 20,454 |
| Year | Emigration | Immigration | Net Migration |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1971 | 167,721 | 128,572 | -39,149 |
| 1972 | 141,852 | 138,246 | -3,606 |
| 1973 | 123,802 | 125,168 | 1,366 |
| 1974 | 112,020 | 116,708 | 4,688 |
| 1975 | 92,666 | 122,774 | 30,108 |
| 1976 | 97,247 | 115,997 | 18,750 |
| 1977 | 87,655 | 101,985 | 14,330 |
| 1978 | 85,550 | 89,897 | 4,347 |
| 1979 | 88,950 | 91,693 | 2,743 |
| 1980 | 84,877 | 90,463 | 5,586 |
| 1981 | 89,221 | 88,886 | -335 |
| 1982 | 98,241 | 92,423 | -5,818 |
| 1983 | 85,138 | 87,804 | 2,666 |
| 1984 | 77,318 | 77,002 | -316 |
| 1985 | 66,737 | 67,277 | 540 |
| 1986 | 57,862 | 56,006 | -1,856 |
| 1987 | 38,305 | 57,665 | 19,360 |
| 1988 | 36,660 | 52,562 | 15,902 |
| 1989 | 59,894 | 53,893 | -6,001 |
| 1990 | 48,916 | 70,035 | 21,119 |
| 1991 | 51,478 | 56,004 | 4,526 |
| 1992 | 50,226 | 54,849 | 4,623 |
| 1993 | 54,980 | 49,261 | -5,719 |
| 1994 | 59,402 | 46,761 | -12,641 |
| 1995 | 34,886 | 28,472 | -6,414 |
| 1996 | 39,017 | 28,816 | -10,201 |
| 1997 | 38,984 | 30,352 | -8,632 |
| 1998 | 38,148 | 29,946 | -8,202 |
| 1999 | 56,283 | 32,152 | -24,131 |
| 2000 | 47,480 | 34,411 | -13,069 |
| 2001 | 46,901 | 35,416 | -11,485 |
| 2002 | 34,056 | 44,476 | 10,420 |
| 2003 | 39,866 | 47,530 | 7,664 |
| 2004 | 39,155 | 41,794 | 2,639 |
| 2005 | 41,991 | 37,326 | -4,665 |
| 2006 | 46,308 | 37,666 | -8,642 |
| 2007 | 36,299 | 36,693 | 394 |
| 2008 | 39,536 | 32,118 | -7,418 |
| 2009 | 39,024 | 29,330 | -9,694 |
| 2010 | 39,545 | 28,192 | -11,353 |
| 2011 | 50,057 | 31,466 | -18,591 |
| 2012 | 67,998 | 29,467 | -38,531 |
| 2013 | 82,095 | 28,433 | -53,662 |
| 2014 | 88,859 | 29,271 | -59,588 |
| Year | Immigration | Emigration | Net Migration |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | 213,202 | 41,756 | 171,446 |
| 2003 | 440,301 | 48,706 | 391,595 |
| 2004 | 414,880 | 49,910 | 364,970 |
| 2005 | 304,960 | 53,931 | 251,029 |
| 2006 | 279,714 | 58,407 | 221,307 |
| 2007 | 527,123 | 51,113 | 476,010 |
| 2008 | 494,394 | 67,671 | 426,723 |
| 2009 | 421,859 | 64,921 | 356,938 |
| 2010 | 447,744 | 67,501 | 380,243 |
| 2011 | 385,793 | 82,461 | 303,332 |
| 2012 | 350,772 | 106,216 | 244,556 |
| 2013 | 307,454 | 125,735 | 181,719 |
| 2014 | 277,631 | 136,328 | 141,303 |
| 2015 | 280,078 | 146,955 | 133,123 |
| 2016 | 300,823 | 157,065 | 143,758 |
| 2017 | 343,440 | 155,110 | 188,330 |
| 2018 | 332,324 | 159,960 | 172,364 |
| 2019 | 332,778 | 179,505 | 153,273 |
| 2020 | 247,526 | 158,884 | 88,642 |
| 2021 | 318,366 | 158,312 | 160,054 |
| 2022 | 410,985 | 150,189 | 260,796 |
| 2023 | 439,658 | 158,438 | 281,220 |
| 2024 | 434,579 | 190,967 | 243,612 |
Italy's official language is Italian;Ethnologue has estimated that there are about 55 million speakers of Italian in the country and a further 6.7 million outside of it, primarily in the neighboring countries and in theItalian diaspora worldwide.[92] Italian, adopted by the central state after theunification of Italy, is a language based on theFlorentine variety ofTuscan and is somewhat intermediate between theItalo-Dalmatian languages and theGallo-Romance languages. Its development was also influenced by the Germanic languages of thepost-Roman invaders. When Italy unified in 1861, only 3% of the population spoke Italian,[93] even though an estimated 90% of Italians speak Italian as their L1 nowadays.[94]
Italy is in fact one of the most linguistically diverse countries in Europe,[95] as there are not onlyvarieties of Italian specific to each cultural region, but also distinctregional and minority languages. The establishment of the national education system has led to the emergence of the former and a decrease in the use of the latter. The spread of Italian was further expanded in the 1950s and 1960s, because of the economic growth and the rise of mass media and television, with the state broadcaster (RAI) setting a colloquial variety of Italian to which the population would be exposed.
As a way to distance itself from theItalianization policies promoted because ofnationalism, Italy recognized twelve languages as the Country's "historical linguistic minorities",[96] which are promoted alongside Italian in their respective territories. French is co-official in theAosta Valley as the province'sprestige variety, under which the more commonly spokenFranco-Provencal dialects have been historically roofed.[97] German has the same status in the province ofBolzano as, in some parts of that province and in parts of the neighbouringTrentino, doesLadin.[98]Slovene[99] andFriulian are officially recognised in the provinces ofTrieste,Gorizia andUdine inVenezia Giulia. InSardinia, theSardinian language has been the language traditionally spoken and is often regarded by linguists as constituting its own branch of Romance;[100] in the 1990s, Sardinian has been recognized as "having equal dignity" with Italian,[101] the introduction of which to the island officially started under the rule of theHouse of Savoy in the 18th century.[citation needed]
In these regions, official documents are either bilingual (trilingual in Ladin communities) in the co-official language(s) by default, or available as such upon request. Traffic signs are also multilingual, except in the Valle d'Aosta where French toponyms are generally used, with the exception ofAosta itself, which has retained its Latin form in Italian as well as English. Attempts to Italianize them, especially during the Fascist period, have been formally abandoned. Education is possible in minority languages where such schools are operating.[citation needed]
UNESCO and other authorities recognize a number of other languages which are not legally protected by Italian government:Piedmontese,Venetian,Ligurian,Lombard,Emilian-Romagnolo,Neapolitan andSicilian.[citation needed]
Catholicism is by far the largest religion in the country, although the Catholic Church is no longer officially thestate religion. In 2006, 87.8% of Italy's population self-identified as Catholic,[103] although only about one-third of these described themselves as active members (36.8%). In 2016, 71.1% ofItalian citizens self-identified as Catholic.[104] This increased again to 78% in 2018.[6]
Most Italians believe in God, or a form of a spiritual life force. According to aEurobarometer Poll in 2005:[105] 74% of Italian citizens responded that 'they believe there is a God', 16% answered that 'they believe there is some sort of spirit or life force' and 6% answered that 'they do not believe there is any sort of spirit, God, or life force'. There are no data collected through census.
The Italian Catholic Church is part of the global Catholic Church, under the leadership of the Pope,curia in Rome, and theConference of Italian Bishops. In addition to Italy, two other sovereign nations are included in Italian-based dioceses,San Marino andVatican City. There are 225 dioceses in the Italian Catholic Church, see further in this article and in the articleList of Catholic dioceses in Italy. Even though by law Vatican City is not part of Italy, it is in Rome, and along withLatin, Italian is the most spoken and second language of theRoman Curia.[106]
Italy has a richCatholic culture, especially as numerous Catholicsaints,martyrs and popes were Italian themselves. Catholic art in Italy especially flourished during theMiddle Ages,Renaissance andBaroque periods, with numerous Italian artists, such asMichelangelo,Leonardo da Vinci,Raphael,Caravaggio,Fra Angelico,Gian Lorenzo Bernini,Sandro Botticelli,Tintoretto,Titian andGiotto. Catholic architecture in Italy is equally as rich and impressive, with churches, basilicas and cathedrals such asSt Peter's Basilica,Florence Cathedral andSt Mark's Basilica. Catholicism is the largest religion and Christian denomination in Italy, with around 71.1% of Italians considering themselves Catholic. Italy is also home to the greatest number ofcardinals in the world,[107] and is the country with the greatest number of Catholic churches per capita.[108]
Even though the main Christian denomination in Italy is Catholicism, there are some minorities ofProtestant,Waldensian,Eastern Orthodox and other Christian churches.
Immigration fromWestern,Central, and Eastern Africa at the beginning of the 21st century has increased the size ofBaptist,Anglican, Pentecostal and Evangelical communities in Italy, while immigration from Eastern Europe has produced large Eastern Orthodox communities.
In 2006, Protestants made up 2.1% of Italy's population, and members of Eastern Orthodox churches comprised 1.2% or more than 700,000 Eastern Orthodox Christians including 180,000Greek Orthodox,[111] 550,000 Pentecostals and Evangelists (0.8%), of whom 400,000 are members of theAssemblies of God, about 250,000 areJehovah's Witnesses (0.4%),[112] 30,000Waldensians,[113] 25,000Seventh-day Adventists, 22,000 Mormons, 15,000 Baptists (plus some 5,000 Free Baptists), 7,000Lutherans, 4,000Methodists (affiliated with the Waldensian Church).[114]
The longest-established religious faith in Italy is Judaism, Jews having been present inAncient Rome before the birth of Christ. Italy has seen many influential Italian-Jews, such as prime ministerLuigi Luzzatti, who took office in 1910,Ernesto Nathan served as mayor of Rome from 1907 to 1913 andShabbethai Donnolo (died 982). During theHolocaust, Italy took in many Jewish refugees fromNazi Germany. However, with the creation of the Nazi-backed puppetItalian Social Republic, about 15% of 48,000 Italian Jews were killed. This, together with the emigration that preceded and followed the Second World War, has left only a small community of around 45,000 Jews in Italy today.
Due to immigration from around the world, there has been an increase in non-Christian religions. As of 2009, there were 1.0 millionMuslims in Italy[115] forming 1.6 percent of population; independent estimates put the Islamic population in Italy anywhere from 0.8 million[116] to 1.5 million.[117] 50,000 Italian Muslims holdItalian citizenship.
There are more than 200,000 followers of faiths originating in the Indian subcontinent, including some 70,000Sikhs with 22gurdwaras across the country,[118] 70,000Hindus, and 50,000Buddhists.[119] There were an estimated 4,900Bahá'ís in Italy in 2005.[120]
Literacy
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)
Thegenetic history of Italy is greatly influenced by geography and history. The ancestors of Italians are mostlyIndo-European speakers (Italic peoples such asLatins,Umbrians,Samnites,Oscans,Sicels andAdriatic Veneti, as well asCelts,Iapygians andGreeks) andpre-Indo-European speakers (Etruscans,Ligures,Rhaetians andCamunni in mainland Italy,Sicani andElymians in Sicily and theNuragic people inSardinia). During theimperial period ofAncient Rome, thecity of Rome was also home to people from various regions throughout the Mediterranean basin, includingSouthern Europe,North Africa and theMiddle East.[122] Based on DNA analysis, there is evidence of ancient regional genetic substructure and continuity within modern Italy dating to the pre-Roman and Roman periods.[123][124][125][126]
The Italian population is marked by considerablecultural,linguistic,genetic andhistorical diversity which results in the presence of several distinct groups throughout the peninsula.[127] In this regard, peoples like theFriulians, theLadins, theSardinians and theTyrolese, who are recognized linguistic minorities, or even theSicilians who are not, serve as cases in point attesting to such internal diversity.
Linguistic minorities in Italy include Sardu-speakers 1 million, Tyrolese German-speakers 350,000, Albanians 70,000 – 100,000, Slovenes 60,000, Franco-Provençal-speakers 50,000 – 70,000, Occitans 20,000 – 40,000, Ladins 30,000, Catalans 15,000, Greek-speakers 12,000, Croatians 3,000 and Friulians 600,000. TheRoma community is one of the largest ethnic minorities in Italy. Due to the lack of disaggregated data the size of the Italian Roma community remains unknown. TheCouncil of Europe estimates that between 120,000 and 180,000 Roma live in Italy. A significant proportion of Roma in Italy do not have Italian citizenship.[128]
Se estima que en la actualidad, el 90% de la población argentina tiene alguna ascendencia europea y que al menos 25 millones están relacionados con algún inmigrante de Italia.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link){{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: DOI inactive as of July 2025 (link)Interestingly, although Iron Age individuals were sampled from both Etruscan (n=3) and Latin (n=6) contexts, we did not detect any significant differences between the two groups with f4 statistics in the form of f4(RMPR_Etruscan, RMPR_Latin; test population, Onge), suggesting shared origins or extensive genetic exchange between them. ... In the Medieval and early modern periods (n = 28 individuals), we observe an ancestry shift toward central and northern Europe in PCA (Fig. 3E), as well as a further increase in the European cluster (C7) and loss of the Near Eastern and eastern Mediterranean clusters (C4 and C5) in ChromoPainter (Fig. 4C). The Medieval population is roughly centered on modern-day central Italians (Fig. 3F). It can be modeled as a two-way combination of Rome's Late Antique population and a European donor population, with potential sources including many ancient and modern populations in central and northern Europe: Lombards from Hungary, Saxons from England, and Vikings from Sweden, among others (table S26).
