After entering Italy, coronavirus (COVID-19) has been spreading fast. An analysis of the individuals who died after contracting the virus revealed that the vast majority of deaths occurred among the elderly. As of May, 2023, roughly 85 percent were patients aged 70 years and older.

Italy's death toll was one of the most tragic in the world. In the last months, however, the country saw the end to this terrible situation: as of May 2023, roughly 84.7 percent of the total Italian population was fully vaccinated.

As of May, 2023, the total number of cases reported in the country were over 25.8 million. The North of the country was the mostly hit area, and the region with the highest number of cases was Lombardy.

For a global overview visit Statista's webpage exclusively dedicated to coronavirus, its development, and its impact.

The spread of coronavirus (COVID-19) in Italy has hit every age group uniformly and claimed over 190 thousand lives since it entered the country. As the chart shows, however, mortality rate appeared to be much higher for the elderly patient. In fact, for people between 80 and 89 years of age, the fatality rate was 6.1 percent. For patients older than 90 years, this figure increased to 12.1 percent. On the other hand, the death rate for individuals under 60 years of age was well below 0.5 percent. Overall, the mortality rate of coronavirus in Italy was 0.7 percent.

Italy's death toll was one of the most tragic in the world. In the last months, however, the country started to see the end of this terrible situation: as of May 2023, roughly 84.7 percent of the total Italian population was fully vaccinated.

Since the first case was detected at the end of January in Italy, coronavirus has been spreading fast. As of May, 2023, the authorities reported over 25.8 million cases in the country. The area mostly hit by the virus is the North, in particular the region of Lombardy.

For a global overview visit Statista's webpage exclusively dedicated to coronavirus, its development, and its impact.

Since the beginning of the twenty-first century, the number of deaths in Italy remained rather stable. In 2020, on the contrary, the death rate reached 12.5 per 1,000 inhabitants, a notable increase compared to previous years. Three years after the pandemic, the figure remains above 10 deaths per 1,000 residents. From the perspective of the single regions, the highest number of deaths was registered in Liguria, whereas the lowest death rate in the country was reported in Trentino-Alto Adige. Coronavirus in Italy In Italy, the first cases of coronavirus (COVID-19) were registered at the end of January 2020. Then, since the end of February, the virus started to spread among the Italian population. Data on the infected patients show that COVID-19 has hit every age group uniformly, but the mortality rate appears to be much higher for elderly patients. Death rates in Europe Despite being the fourth-largest country in Europe in terms of population size, Italy was the state with the second-highest number of deaths, preceded only by Germany, the most populated country on the continent.

In 2023, the Italian region with the highest death rate was Liguria. By contrast, Trentino-South Tyrol was the area where the lowest death rate was registered in the whole country. In the period between 2010 and 2019, the annual death rate in Italy remained rather stable. In 2020, instead, the death rate increased compared to previous years. Coronavirus deaths In Italy, the first cases of coronavirus (COVID-19) were registered at the end of January 2020. Then, since the end of February, the virus started to spread among the Italian population. As of October 2021, Italy recorded 4.7 million cases of coronavirus (COVID-19) and over 130,000 deaths. Death rates in other European countries In 2019, Italy was the European country which registered the second-highest number of deaths. The state with the highest number of deceased was Germany, which is also the most populous country on the continent. On the contrary, Italy ranked only fourth, considering the size of the population.

The spread of coronavirus (COVID-19) in Italy has not hit uniformly people of every age, as about 60 percent of the individuals infected with the virus were under 50 years old. However, deaths occurred mostly among the elderly. The virus has claimed approximately 190 thousand lives, but, as the chart shows, roughly 85 percent of the victims were older people, aged 70 years or more. People between 80 and 89 years were the most affected, with roughly 76 thousand deaths within this age group.

Number of total cases Since the first case was detected, coronavirus has spread quickly across Italy. As of April 2023, authorities have reported over 25.8 million cases in the country. This figure includes the deceased, the recovered, and current active cases. COVID recoveries represent the vast majority, reaching approximately 25.5 million.

Regional differences In terms of COVID cases, Lombardy has been the hardest hit region, followed by the regions of Campania, and Veneto. Likewise, in terms of deaths, Lombardy was the region with the highest number, with roughly 46 thousand losses. On the other hand, this is also the region with the highest number of COVID-19 vaccine administered doses, with a figure of approximately 25.5 million.

For a global overview visit Statista's webpage exclusively dedicated to coronavirus, its development, and its impact.

In March 2020, during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, Italy recorded the highest monthly number of deaths across the period January 2019-October 2024. The number of individuals who died in March 2020 was 86,500. Another critical month was November 2020, when 78,500 deaths were reported. By contrast, in September 2019, 46,500 deaths were recorded, the lowest number of fatalities within the past five years. The deaths registered from February to June 2024 were the lowest since 2019.

After the outbreak of the coronavirus (COVID-19) in Italy, many people died after contracting the infection. As of May 2023, the mortality rate for female patients in Italy was 0.6 percent, the corresponding figure for male patients was 0.9 percent. The chart shows how this gap was recorded among all age groups.

Italy's death toll was one of the most tragic in the world. In the last months, however, the country saw the end to this terrible situation: as of May 2023, roughly 84.7 percent of the total Italian population was fully vaccinated.

The virus originated in Wuhan, a Chinese city populated by millions and located in the province of Hubei. More statistics and facts about the virus in Italy are available here. For a global overview visit Statista's webpage exclusively dedicated to coronavirus, its development, and its impact.

Over the course of 2020, 75,891 deaths caused by COVID-19 were reported to the authorities in Italy. In total, the number of deaths in the country surpassed 746 thousand, the highest figure registered since World War II. This statistic shows the percentage change in the number of deaths per age group of the individuals who died, comparing figures for 2020 with the average of deaths in the same period between 2015 and 2019. The three periods considered correspond to three main stages of 2020 in Italy: the pre-COVID-19 months, the first wave, and the second wave. It is possible to see how COVID-19 impacted the different age groups disproportionately. The number of deaths recorded among individuals between zero and 49 years old, in fact, was even consistently less than the 2015-2019 average across 2020. On the other hand, during the first and second wave of infections, the number of deaths registered among people aged 80 years or more was 36 percent higher than the 2015-2019 average.

After entering Italy, the coronavirus (COVID-19) spread fast. The strict lockdown implemented by the government during the Spring 2020 helped to slow down the outbreak. However, in the following months the country had to face four new harsh waves of contagion. As of January 1, 2025, 198,638 deaths caused by COVID-19 were reported by the authorities, of which approximately 48.7 thousand in the region of Lombardy, 20.1 thousand in the region of Emilia-Romagna, and roughly 17.6 thousand in Veneto, the regions mostly hit. The total number of cases reported in the country reached over 26.9 million. The north of the country was mostly hit, and the region with the highest number of cases was Lombardy, which registered almost 4.4 million of them. The north-eastern region of Veneto counted about 2.9 million cases. Italy's death toll was one of the most tragic in the world. In the last months, however, the country saw the end to this terrible situation: as of November 2023, 85 percent of the total Italian population was fully vaccinated. For a global overview, visit Statista's webpage exclusively dedicated to coronavirus, its development, and its impact.

Since the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) in Italy, started in February 2020, many people who contracted the infection died. The number of deaths amounted to 198,683 as of January 8, 2025. On December 3, 2020, 993 patients died, the highest daily toll since the start of the pandemic. The region with the highest number of deaths was Lombardy, which is also the region that registered the highest number of coronavirus cases. Italy's death toll was one of the most tragic in the world. In the last months, however, the country saw the end to this terrible situation: as of November 2023, roughly 85 percent of the total Italian population was fully vaccinated. For further information about the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, please visit our dedicated Facts and Figures page.

Over the course of 2020, more than 1,200 alcohol-related deaths were recorded in Italy. According to the data, that year, 1,013 men died due to alcohol-related diseases. This was around four times the figure of women who died after developing alcohol-related diseases. Alcohol-related deaths In 2020, the most common alcohol-related death in Italy was caused by alcohol-related liver disease (ARLD). This illness can present itself in different stages after either chronic alcohol use or binge-drinking, each with a different severity of symptoms and fatality.
Alcohol abuse in Italy In 2022, around 13 percent of the population consumed amounts of alcohol considered to be excessive in Italy. However, male Italian consumers were more prone to alcohol abuse in the form of binge-drinking than women. In 2020, more men died of alcohol-related causes than women.

From 2007 to 2020, alcohol-related deaths among men in Italy were more frequent for individuals above 55 years of age. Specifically, in 2020 around 6.8 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants were observed for this age group, while this rate was 3.3 for men aged 34 to 54 years. This graph shows the number of alcohol-related deaths in Italy among men from 2007 to 2020 per 100,000 inhabitants, by age group.

In 2022, 112,000 people died in Lombardy, whereas the number of deaths in Lazio amounted to 64,300. Aosta Valley recorded 1,530 deaths, the lowest number nationwide. Lombardy is the region with the highest population, whereas Aosta Valley has the lowest number of inhabitants in the country.

The death rate in Italy increased by 0.2 deaths per 1,000 inhabitants (+1.68 percent) in 2022. In total, the death rate amounted to 12.1 deaths per 1,000 inhabitants in 2022. Over the observed period, the death rate has been subject to fluctuation.The crude death rate is the annual number of deaths divided by the total population, expressed per 1,000 people.Find more statistics on other topics about Italy with key insights such as infant mortality rate, total fertility rate, and under-five child mortality rate.

From 2007 to 2020, alcohol-related deaths among women in Italy were more frequent for women above 55 years of age. Specifically, in 2020 around 1.27 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants were observed for this age group, while this rate was 0.72 for women aged 34 to 54 years. This graph shows the number of alcohol-related deaths in Italy among women from 2007 to 2020 per 100,000 inhabitants, by age group.

The child mortality rate in Italy, for children under the age of five, was 390 deaths per thousand births in 1865. This translated into just under forty percent of all children born in 1865 not surviving past their fifth birthday. Child mortality remained above 250 until the mid 1920s, before falling at a much faster rate throughout the rest of the century thanks in part to the introduction and availability of new vaccinations. In 2020, the child mortality rate in Italy is expected to be just three deaths per one thousand births.

In Italy, approximately 722,000 deaths were registered in 2022. According to the data, ischemic heart diseases were the most common cause of death in the country, with 59,052 cases registered, closely followed by cerebrovascular diseases. COVID-19 was the third illness causing the largest number of deaths in Italy. COVID-19 death comorbidities Most patients admitted to the hospital and later deceased with the coronavirus (COVID-19) infection showed one or more comorbidities. Hypertension was the most common pre-existing health condition, detected in 65.8 percent of patients who died after contracting the virus. Type 2-diabetes, ischemic heart disease, and atrial fibrillation were also among the most common comorbidities in COVID-19 patients who lost their lives. Cancer deaths The number of people who died from a tumor in Italy decreased constantly between 2006 and 2021. Indeed, the rate of deaths due to cancer among Italians dropped from 28.7 deaths per 10,000 inhabitants in 2006 to 23.3 in 2021. The Italian region with the highest cancer mortality rate was Campania, followed by Sardinia, and Sicily.

The number of deaths related to drug misuse in Italy was highest among those aged 40 years and older, both males and females, in 2023. The statistic shows the number of deaths from drug misuse in Italy in 2023, by age and gender.

Based on a comparison of coronavirus deaths in 210 countries relative to their population, Peru had the most losses to COVID-19 up until July 13, 2022. As of the same date, the virus had infected over 557.8 million people worldwide, and the number of deaths had totaled more than 6.3 million. Note, however, that COVID-19 test rates can vary per country. Additionally, big differences show up between countries when combining the number of deaths against confirmed COVID-19 cases. The source seemingly does not differentiate between "the Wuhan strain" (2019-nCOV) of COVID-19, "the Kent mutation" (B.1.1.7) that appeared in the UK in late 2020, the 2021 Delta variant (B.1.617.2) from India or the Omicron variant (B.1.1.529) from South Africa.

The difficulties of death figures

This table aims to provide a complete picture on the topic, but it very much relies on data that has become more difficult to compare. As the coronavirus pandemic developed across the world, countries already used different methods to count fatalities, and they sometimes changed them during the course of the pandemic. On April 16, for example, the Chinese city of Wuhan added a 50 percent increase in their death figures to account for community deaths. These deaths occurred outside of hospitals and went unaccounted for so far. The state of New York did something similar two days before, revising their figures with 3,700 new deaths as they started to include “assumed” coronavirus victims. The United Kingdom started counting deaths in care homes and private households on April 29, adjusting their number with about 5,000 new deaths (which were corrected lowered again by the same amount on August 18). This makes an already difficult comparison even more difficult. Belgium, for example, counts suspected coronavirus deaths in their figures, whereas other countries have not done that (yet). This means two things. First, it could have a big impact on both current as well as future figures. On April 16 already, UK health experts stated that if their numbers were corrected for community deaths like in Wuhan, the UK number would change from 205 to “above 300”. This is exactly what happened two weeks later. Second, it is difficult to pinpoint exactly which countries already have “revised” numbers (like Belgium, Wuhan or New York) and which ones do not. One work-around could be to look at (freely accessible) timelines that track the reported daily increase of deaths in certain countries. Several of these are available on our platform, such as for Belgium, Italy and Sweden. A sudden large increase might be an indicator that the domestic sources changed their methodology.

Where are these numbers coming from?

The numbers shown here were collected by Johns Hopkins University, a source that manually checks the data with domestic health authorities. For the majority of countries, this is from national authorities. In some cases, like China, the United States, Canada or Australia, city reports or other various state authorities were consulted. In this statistic, these separately reported numbers were put together. For more information or other freely accessible content, please visit our dedicated Facts and Figures page.

In 2019, 1,052 deaths were recorded among children under one year of age in Italy. This statistic breaks down this figure by age group. According to the study results, 698 neonatal deaths were registered in that year. In particular, 236 deaths occurred within the first day of life of the child.