Projections estimate that the population in Italy will decrease in the following years. In January 2025, the Italian population added up to 59 million people, but in 2030 Italians will be 58 million individuals. Twenty years later, the population will be around 52 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.

As of January 2025, Italy had a population of around 59 million people. Over the past years, Italy's population decreased. 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 6.3. However, there was one increasing demographic trend in the country over the last years. The foreign-born population, in fact, increased from 2009 to 2023, 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 2025 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.

At the beginning of the 19th century, the area of modern-day Italy, at the time a collection of various states and kingdoms, was estimated to have a population of nineteen million, a figure which would grow steadily throughout the century, and by the establishment of the Kingdom of Italy in 1861, the population would rise to just over 26 million.

Italy’s population would see its first major disruption during the First World War, as Italy would join the Allied Forces in their fight against Austria-Hungary and Germany. In the First World War, Italy’s population would largely stagnate at 36 million, only climbing again following the end of the war in 1920. While Italy would also play a prominent role in the Second World War, as the National Fascist Party-led country would fight alongside Germany against the Allies, Italian fatalities from the war would not represent a significant percentage of Italy’s population compared to other European countries in the conflict. As a result, Italy would exit the Second World War with a population of just over 45 million.

From this point onwards the Italian economy started to recover from the war, and eventually boomed, leading to increased employment and standards of living, which facilitated steady population growth until the mid-1980s, when falling fertility and birth rates would cause growth to largely cease. From this point onward, the Italian population would remain at just over 57 million, until the 2000s when it began growing again due to an influx of migrants, peaking in 2017 at just over 60 million people. In the late 2010s, however, the Italian population began declining again, as immigration slowed and the economy weakened. As a result, in 2020, Italy is estimated to have fallen to a population of 59 million.

About this dataset

Context

The dataset tabulates the Italy population over the last 20 plus years. It lists the population for each year, along with the year on year change in population, as well as the change in percentage terms for each year. The dataset can be utilized to understand the population change of Italy across the last two decades. For example, using this dataset, we can identify if the population is declining or increasing. If there is a change, when the population peaked, or if it is still growing and has not reached its peak. We can also compare the trend with the overall trend of United States population over the same period of time.

Key observations

In 2023, the population of Italy was 2,079, a 1.71% increase year-by-year from 2022. Previously, in 2022, Italy population was 2,044, an increase of 1.24% compared to a population of 2,019 in 2021. Over the last 20 plus years, between 2000 and 2023, population of Italy increased by 65. In this period, the peak population was 2,189 in the year 2009. The numbers suggest that the population has already reached its peak and is showing a trend of decline. Source: U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP).

Content

When available, the data consists of estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP).

Data Coverage:

• From 2000 to 2023

Variables / Data Columns

• Year: This column displays the data year (Measured annually and for years 2000 to 2023)
• Population: The population for the specific year for the Italy is shown in this column.
• Year on Year Change: This column displays the change in Italy population for each year compared to the previous year.
• Change in Percent: This column displays the year on year change as a percentage. 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 Year. You can refer the same here

The total population of Italy was 58.97 million people in 2024. Between 1980 and 2024, the total population rose by 2.58 million people, though the increase followed an uneven trajectory rather than a consistent upward trend. The total population is expected to drop by 410,000 people between 2024 and 2030, showing a continuous downward movement throughout the period.This indicator describes the total population in the country at hand. This total population of the country consists of all persons falling within the scope of the census.

About this dataset

Context

The dataset tabulates the Italy town population over the last 20 plus years. It lists the population for each year, along with the year on year change in population, as well as the change in percentage terms for each year. The dataset can be utilized to understand the population change of Italy town across the last two decades. For example, using this dataset, we can identify if the population is declining or increasing. If there is a change, when the population peaked, or if it is still growing and has not reached its peak. We can also compare the trend with the overall trend of United States population over the same period of time.

Key observations

In 2022, the population of Italy town was 1,074, a 0.74% decrease year-by-year from 2021. Previously, in 2021, Italy town population was 1,082, a decline of 0.73% compared to a population of 1,090 in 2020. Over the last 20 plus years, between 2000 and 2022, population of Italy town decreased by 26. In this period, the peak population was 1,170 in the year 2017. The numbers suggest that the population has already reached its peak and is showing a trend of decline. Source: U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP).

Content

When available, the data consists of estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP).

Data Coverage:

• From 2000 to 2022

Variables / Data Columns

• Year: This column displays the data year (Measured annually and for years 2000 to 2022)
• Population: The population for the specific year for the Italy town is shown in this column.
• Year on Year Change: This column displays the change in Italy town population for each year compared to the previous year.
• Change in Percent: This column displays the year on year change as a percentage. 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 town Population by Year. You can refer the same here

The total population in Italy was estimated at 58.9 million people in 2025, according to the latest census figures and projections from Trading Economics. This dataset provides the latest reported value for - Italy Population - plus previous releases, historical high and low, short-term forecast and long-term prediction, economic calendar, survey consensus and news.

In 2023, the annual population growth in Italy was -0.03 percent. Between 1961 and 2023, the figure dropped by 0.7 percentage points, though the decline followed an uneven course rather than a steady trajectory.

Italy: Rural population, percent of total population: The latest value from 2024 is 27.71 percent, a decline from 28.03 percent in 2023. In comparison, the world average is 38.30 percent, based on data from 196 countries. Historically, the average for Italy from 1960 to 2024 is 33.27 percent. The minimum value, 27.71 percent, was reached in 2024 while the maximum of 40.64 percent was recorded in 1960.

Italy: Female population, percent of total: The latest value from 2024 is 51.13 percent, a decline from 51.16 percent in 2023. In comparison, the world average is 49.99 percent, based on data from 196 countries. Historically, the average for Italy from 1960 to 2024 is 51.44 percent. The minimum value, 51.13 percent, was reached in 2024 while the maximum of 51.58 percent was recorded in 2001.

In 2024, Trentino-South Tyrol was the region in Italy with the highest birth rate nationwide, with 7.6 births per 1,000 inhabitants. The following three positions in the ranking were occupied by Southern regions: Campania, Sicily, and Calabria. Indeed, south Italy was the macro-region with the largest birth-rate in Italy. Population change in Italy Over the past years, the natural increase in population dropped and the number of deaths exceeded the number of births. This phenomenon can be observed in every region of the country, with the number of births being lower than those of deaths in 2023. Consequently, on a national scale, the share of people aged over 65 years and over grew constantly, whereas the young population declined over the last decade. The median age is increasing as well. High lifespans for Italians Another factor that contributes to making the population older is that people are living longer than ever before. Data about life expectancy reveal that the expected lifespan at birth is rising: in 2023, it stood at 81.1 years for men and 85.2 years for women. In fact, lifespans in Italy are one of the highest worldwide, even above the European average.

In 2025, 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 46.8 years, but in some regions this figure is even higher. Liguria records an average age of 49.6 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.

This statistic shows the decrease in population’s number of children per couple in Italy in 1951, 1993 and 2016. During the years considered, the average number of children per couple dropped from almost ***** children in 1951 to around *** per couple in 2016.

In Italy, the crude birth rate in 1850 was 38.4 live births per thousand people, meaning that 3.8 percent of the population had been born in that year. Apart from some slight fluctuation in the 1860s, between 1850 and the Second World War, Italy's crude birth rate decreased very gradually. 38.9 was the highest recorded figure in 1865, and it decreased to 27.1 in 1930. Over the next 35 years (including the Second World War and Italian Civil War) the birth rate fluctuated, but overall it dropped to 18.6, and then the decline fell consistently to 10.9 in 1985, where it then plateaued. In the 2000s, the crude birth rate did increase in the first decade, to 9.7 in 2010, before dropping again, and it is expected to fall to it's lowest level of 7.6 in 2020.

The population residing in Venice continuously grew from 1871, the year of the first census, reaching its peak in 1968 with ******* inhabitants right after the baby boom period. In the following decades, the municipality registered a slow but constant decline of residents, loosing ******* citizens in 55 years, especially in the historical city center. Depopulation of the historical city center Venice is one of the most visited cities in Italy. The San Marco square and the hundreds of bridges that connect the 118 islands of the historical city center attracted *** million people in 2023. However, given its geographical peculiarity, Venice is a fragile environment that must face the serious problem of overtourism. In fact, the city has the second-highest number of tourists per inhabitant in Europe. As a result, Venice is overcrowded and environmental pollution has risen, substantially decreasing the life quality of residents. Accessing to essential public services has become more difficult for inhabitants, and residential properties have been converted to accommodation facilities. As many residents have decided to relocate to the dry land, the historical city center recorded a dramatic depopulation trend. In 2023, less than ****** people still lived in the lagoon. Venice and Veneto: not only tourism Venice is the administrative center of Veneto, one of the most economically developed regions of the country. Veneto’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) amounted to *** billion euros in 2023. Only Lombardy, the most populated region, and Lazio, where Rome is located, recorded higher figures. North-eastern Italy, that comprises the regions of Veneto, Trentino-South Tyrol, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, and Emilia-Romagna, is the second economic driving force of the country. House furniture, wearing apparel, footwear, and clothing are the key business sectors of the regional industry. Internationally renowned companies and high-quality brands like Luxottica, Geox, and Calzedonia have their headquarters in Veneto.

In 2024, the population natural increase in Liguria stood at -8.4 per 1,000 residents. Hence, the number of deaths exceeded significantly the number of births. No region in Italy recorded a positive natural growth in population in 2024. The mildest decrease was registered in Trentino-South Tyrol. In 2024, the annual natural increase in population nationwide recorded a negative rate of 4.8 per 1,000 inhabitants.

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.

For most of the past two centuries, falling birth rates have been associated with societal progress. During the demographic transition, where pre-industrial societies modernize in terms of fertility and mortality, falling death rates, especially among infants and children, are the first major change. In response, as more children survive into adulthood, women have fewer children as the need to compensate for child mortality declines. This transition has happened at different times across the world and is an ongoing process, with early industrial countries being the first to transition, and Sub-Saharan African countries being the most recent to do so. Additionally, some Asian countries (particularly China through government policy) have gone through their demographic transitions at a much faster pace than those deemed more developed. Today, in countries such as Japan, Italy, and Germany, birth rates have fallen well below death rates; this is no longer considered a positive demographic trend, as it leads to natural population decline, and may create an over-aged population that could place a burden on healthcare systems.

Venice has progressively lost its inhabitants living in the historical center. For 15 centuries, this area has been the cornerstone of the city's political, economic, and social life, with a peak of 174,800 residents reached in 1951. Since then, a substantial decline started in favor of the mainland. In 1960, it became more populous than the ancient settlement for the first time since the founding in the seventh century A.D. Over the last 20 years, the inhabitants of the dry land stabilized around 180,000 people. There they can find better and easily accessible public services and modern infrastructures while avoiding the problem of overtourism. On the contrary, in 2024 only 48,000 inhabitants lived in the center, more than 70 percent less than in 1952. The population residing in the estuary never exceeded 51,000 people, and the depopulation trend has been constant since the 1990s. The problem of overtourism Tourism is a crucial sector for the city’s economy. It contributes 1.67 billion euros to Venice’s Gross Domestic Product, and more than 1,260 hotels are located within the municipality. Despite being its largest economic resource, tourism has gradually become one of the greatest threats to Venice’s survival. Less than 50,000 people reside in the historical city center, which was visited by almost six million tourists in 2023. Overtourism, with an enormous disproportion between visitors and inhabitants, has significantly lowered Venice’s life quality, and relocating to the mainland appears to be the only feasible solution for many Venetians. Between April and July 2024, the municipality administration introduced a five-euro ticket that daily tourists had to purchase before entering Venice, with the objective of controlling the flow of tourism.

The statistic shows the demographic dynamics in Italy in 2016. According to the figure, the county faced a negative trend in 2016, with the resident population decreasing by over ** thousand units. The result is mainly due to the natural balance (difference between births and deaths) that resulted in deficit for around *** thousand individuals. The immigration from abroad of almost *** thousand Italians and foreigners had not been enough to save the balance.