Projections published in 2022 estimated that the population in Italy will decrease in the following years. In January 2024, the Italian population added up to 59 million people, but in 2030 Italians will be 57.5 million individuals. Twenty years later, the population will be around 52.3 million people. Low birth rate and old population The birth rate in Italy has constantly dropped in the last years. In 2023, 6.4 children were born per 1,000 inhabitants, three babies less than in 2002. Nationwide, the highest number of births was registered in the southern regions, whereas central Italy had the lowest number of children born every 1,000 people. More specifically, the birth rate in the south stood at 7 infants, while in the center it was equal to 5.9 births. Consequently, the population in Italy has aged over the last decade. Between 2002 and 2024, the age distribution of the Italian population showed a growing share of people aged 65 years and older. As a result, the share of young people decreased. The European exception Similarly, the population in Europe is estimated to decrease in the coming years. In 2024, there were 740 million people living in Europe. In 2100, the figure is expected to drop to 586 million inhabitants. However, projections of the world population suggest that Europe might be the only continent experiencing a population decrease. For instance, the population in Africa could grow from 1.41 billion people in 2022 to 3.92 billion individuals in 2100, the fastest population growth worldwide.

In 2024, Italy’s resident population is estimated to be almost 59 million inhabitants. About one-sixth of them lived in Lombardy, the most populous region in the country. Lazio and Campania followed, with roughly 5.7 million and 5.6 million inhabitants, respectively. These figures are mainly driven by Rome and Naples, the administrative capitals of these regions, and two of the largest metropolitan areas in the country. Which region has the oldest population?  The population in Italy has become older and older over the last years. The average age in the country is equal to 46.6 years, but in some regions this figure is even higher. Liguria records an average age of 49.5 years and has one of the lowest birth rates in the country. Demographic trends for the future Liguria’s case, however, is not an outlier. Italy is already the country with the highest share of old people in Europe. At the same time, the very low number of new births means that, despite an always-increasing life expectancy, the Italian population is declining. Indeed, projections estimate that the country will have five million fewer inhabitants by 2050.

Chart and table of Italy population from 1950 to 2025. United Nations projections are also included through the year 2100.

Population growth (annual %) in Italy was reported at --0.03422 % in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Italy - Population growth (annual %) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on March of 2025.

Population, female in Italy was reported at 30178166 Persons in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Italy - Population, female - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on March of 2025.

The median age of the population in Italy is estimated to grow constantly until 2050. Projections made in 2022 suggested that the median age will be equal to 50.3 years in 2030 and 53.4 years by 2050. In Italy, the birth rate has constantly decreased over the past years. In 2023, 6.4 children were born per every 1,000 inhabitants, three infants less than in 2002.

Population ages 0-14, male in Italy was reported at 3682719 Persons in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Italy - Population, ages 0-14, male - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on March of 2025.

Chart and table of population level and growth rate for the Turin, Italy metro area from 1950 to 2025. United Nations population projections are also included through the year 2035.

Chart and table of population level and growth rate for the Rome, Italy metro area from 1950 to 2025. United Nations population projections are also included through the year 2035.

Urban population growth (annual %) in Italy was reported at 0.4058 % in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Italy - Urban population growth (annual %) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on March of 2025.

As of January 2024, 59 million people lived in Italy. About 28.9 million individuals were males and 30.1 million people were females. The most populated area of the country was the north-west, where 15.9 million people lived. Furthermore, the southern regions counted 13.4 million inhabitants, representing the second most populous area of the country. Regional census The northern region of Lombardy is the most populous region of Italy. One-sixth of all the Italian population is concentrated in this area. Lazio and Campania follow with approximately 5.7 million and 5.6 million individuals, respectively. On the other hand, Aosta Valley, a northern region bordering to France and Switzerland, counted 123,000 inhabitants, representing the smallest region of Italy in terms of residents as well as area. More and more Italians are moving abroad Between 2006 and 2022, the number of Italians reported living abroad increased. In 2022, 5.8 million people lived outside Italy, almost three million more than in 2006. The country hosting the largest Italian population is Argentina. In 2019, beyond one million Italian citizens lived in the South American nation. Other large Italian communities resided in Germany, Switzerland, and Brazil.

Chart and table of population level and growth rate for the Vicenza, Italy metro area from 1950 to 2025. United Nations population projections are also included through the year 2035.

Population ages 65-69, male (% of male population) in Italy was reported at 6.0002 % in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Italy - Population ages 65-69, male (% of male population) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on March of 2025.

In 2024, Italy's foreign population was 5.3 million individuals. Compared to the previous year, it increased by around 166,000 people. While the Italian population is progressively aging and shrinking, the number of immigrants residing in the country has been constantly raising since 2010.

Chart and table of population level and growth rate for the Milan, Italy metro area from 1950 to 2025. United Nations population projections are also included through the year 2035.

As of January 2024, Italy had a population of around 59 million people. Over the past years, Italy's population experienced a decrease. An aging population and a very low birth rate are the main causes of such a contraction. Population forecasts predict that the number of residents in the country will be roughly 52.3 million by 2050. Birth rates and foreign population The birth rate in Italy declined continuously from 2002, when 9.4 babies per 1,000 inhabitants were born, to 2023, when this number dropped to 6.4. However, there was one increasing demographic trend in the country over the last years. The foreign-born population, in fact, increased from 2009 to 2022, surpassing six million people. Regional and gender distribution In Italy, female citizens were slightly more numerous than their male counterparts. The most populated region in 2024 was Lombardy, accounting for a sixth of the whole Italian population. Lazio and Campania followed, both around 5.6 million inhabitants. On the other hand, the smallest Italian region in terms of population was Aosta Valley, with only around 123,000 inhabitants.

About this dataset

Context

The dataset tabulates the population of Italy by gender, including both male and female populations. This dataset can be utilized to understand the population distribution of Italy across both sexes and to determine which sex constitutes the majority.

Key observations

There is a slight majority of female population, with 52.72% of total population being female. Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 2019-2023 5-Year Estimates.

Content

When available, the data consists of estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 2019-2023 5-Year Estimates.

Scope of gender :

Please note that American Community Survey asks a question about the respondents current sex, but not about gender, sexual orientation, or sex at birth. The question is intended to capture data for biological sex, not gender. Respondents are supposed to respond with the answer as either of Male or Female. Our research and this dataset mirrors the data reported as Male and Female for gender distribution analysis. No further analysis is done on the data reported from the Census Bureau.

Variables / Data Columns

• Gender: This column displays the Gender (Male / Female)
• Population: The population of the gender in the Italy is shown in this column.
• % of Total Population: This column displays the percentage distribution of each gender as a proportion of Italy total population. Please note that the sum of all percentages may not equal one due to rounding of values.

Good to know

Margin of Error

Data in the dataset are based on the estimates and are subject to sampling variability and thus a margin of error. Neilsberg Research recommends using caution when presening these estimates in your research.

Custom data

If you do need custom data for any of your research project, report or presentation, you can contact our research staff at research@neilsberg.com for a feasibility of a custom tabulation on a fee-for-service basis.

Inspiration

Neilsberg Research Team curates, analyze and publishes demographics and economic data from a variety of public and proprietary sources, each of which often includes multiple surveys and programs. The large majority of Neilsberg Research aggregated datasets and insights is made available for free download at https://www.neilsberg.com/research/.

Recommended for further research

This dataset is a part of the main dataset for Italy Population by Race & Ethnicity. You can refer the same here

Italy - Population was 58971230.00 in December of 2024, according to the EUROSTAT. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for Italy - Population - last updated from the EUROSTAT on March of 2025. Historically, Italy - Population reached a record high of 60345917.00 in December of 2014 and a record low of 50025500.00 in December of 1960.

Population, female (% of total population) in Italy was reported at 51.16 % in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Italy - Population, female (% of total) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on March of 2025.

Chart and table of population level and growth rate for the Seregno, Italy metro area from 1950 to 2025. United Nations population projections are also included through the year 2035.