From 2019 to 2025, the population of Milan has decreased by almost 30,000 inhabitants. The peak was reached in 2020, when more than 1.4 million people lived in the city, after which the decreasing trend started. In 2025, there were 1.36 million inhabitants. This trend can be explained by the fact that many residents may be willing to move to neighboring municipalities to cope with the increasing cost of living, which has affected the city recently. Despite this slight fall, Milan remains the second-largest city in Italy, after Rome and before Naples.

The population residing in the metropolitan city of Milan has progressively aged from 2010 to 2024. In fact, the share of young citizens between zero and 14 years old, who constitute less than one fifth of the total, decreased by more than one percent. Similarly, the adults between 15 and 64 years old recorded a contraction by 0.3 percent. On the contrary, the inhabitants aged 65 years old or more augmented their share by 1.6 percent. The eldest European country The pattern displayed in the figure matches the age distribution of the Italian population. Over the last twenty years, only the share of citizens aged 65 and older expanded, growing by 5.4 percent, while for children between zero and 14 years old and adults from 15 to 64 years, a reduction was registered by respectively 1.7 percent and 3.7 percent. The data clearly highlights the acute demographic decline that the country is experiencing. Italy is the second-oldest country globally and the first in Europe, with almost 24 percent of the population aged more than 65 years. Without effective and targeted policies to encourage natality and to support young families, it will be decisively problematic to revert this trend, which can have a critical impact on public finances too. Unsustainable pension system The aging population, combined with a shrinkage of young individuals, seriously endangers the sustainability of the public pension system as well as the state’s capacity to provide adequate social security to its citizens. More and more workers are retiring, and hence the country is forced to reserve an increasing share of its budget for welfare policies. Without a proportionate labor turnover from older to newer generations which can adequately support the pension scheme, policymakers must resort to public debt, to cover the missing share of contributions. The indebtedness in 2020 amounted to 1.5 times the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). As this trend is predicted to increase, the Italian government is urged to find a solution that must conciliate the protection of 16 million pensioners with an always growing lack of pension contributions paid by the young workforce.

About this dataset

Context

The dataset tabulates the Milan 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 Milan 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 2023, the population of Milan town was 1,368, a 0% decrease year-by-year from 2022. Previously, in 2022, Milan town population was 1,368, an increase of 0.07% compared to a population of 1,367 in 2021. Over the last 20 plus years, between 2000 and 2023, population of Milan town increased by 31. In this period, the peak population was 1,375 in the year 2006. 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 Milan town is shown in this column.
• Year on Year Change: This column displays the change in Milan 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 Milan town Population by Year. You can refer the same here

At the beginning of 2024, **** million people lived in Milan. Women were the majority with ******* inhabitants, whereas men represented almost ******* citizens.

Rome is the most populous city in Italy. With 2.75 million inhabitants, the capital of the country put ahead Milan and Naples. Compared to the number of citizens in 2012, the resident population of Rome increased by over 140,000 individuals. Regional data Rome is located in the center of Italy in the Lazio region. Lazio is the second-largest region in terms of population size after Lombardy. In 2024, the region counts roughly 5.7 million inhabitants, whereas Lombardy has over ten million individuals. The third-largest region is Campania, with 5.6 million people. Naples, the major center of Campania, has around 910,000 inhabitants at the beginning of 2024. Nevertheless, this city was, back in the 19th century, one of the largest cities in Western Europe. Tourism in Rome The Eternal City is also the main tourist destination in Italy and was the eighth most-visited city in Europe. The largest groups of international visitors in Rome came from the United States of America, Japan, and the United Kingdom. Every year, more and more tourists also enjoy the best-known tourist attractions in Rome, like the Colosseum, the Roman Forum, and the Palatine Hill, which together recorded almost ten million visitors in 2022.

Rome is the largest Italian metropolitan area. As of 2024, the urban area of the capital city has a population of around 4.23 million people. Milan and Naples follow with 3.25 million and 2.97 million people, respectively. In terms of inhabitants per square kilometer, Naples, located in the south, has the highest population density. Rome, Milan, and Naples are also Italy's largest cities.

In 2023, the municipality of Milan collected 42 percent of the total population of the metropolitan city. This caused an evident disproportion in the distribution of the citizens between the main urban area and the smaller peripheral centers. In fact, the inhabitants of Sesto San Giovanni, the second-largest municipality, represented only six percent compared to the residents of Milan. Furthermore, the city was, together with Cinisello Balsamo, the only one above 70,000 people. Hence, the metropolitan city consists mostly of middle- and small-sized towns.

Naples is the Italian city with the highest population density. As of 2025, the largest south Italian city counts 7,780 inhabitants per square kilometer. Milan followed with around 7,500 residents per square kilometer, whereas Rome, the largest Italian city, registered a population density of only 2,135 people, 5,645 inhabitants per square kilometer less than Naples.

The mean age in the metropolitan city of Milan between 2010 and 2024 recorded an increasing trend. In fact, from 44.3 years old at the beginning of the decade, the average age rose to 46 years old in 2024, 1.7 years more than in 2010. Furthermore, the aging of the population is confirmed by the share of inhabitants aged 65 years old or more, which significantly expanded during the same time frame. However, the metropolitan area remains under the Italian median age, corresponding to 46.6 years old for 2024.

About this dataset

Context

The dataset tabulates the data for the Milan, IL population pyramid, which represents the Milan population distribution across age and gender, using estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 2018-2022 5-Year Estimates. It lists the male and female population for each age group, along with the total population for those age groups. Higher numbers at the bottom of the table suggest population growth, whereas higher numbers at the top indicate declining birth rates. Furthermore, the dataset can be utilized to understand the youth dependency ratio, old-age dependency ratio, total dependency ratio, and potential support ratio.

Key observations

• Youth dependency ratio, which is the number of children aged 0-14 per 100 persons aged 15-64, for Milan, IL, is 30.8.
• Old-age dependency ratio, which is the number of persons aged 65 or over per 100 persons aged 15-64, for Milan, IL, is 33.8.
• Total dependency ratio for Milan, IL is 64.6.
• Potential support ratio, which is the number of youth (working age population) per elderly, for Milan, IL is 3.0.

Content

When available, the data consists of estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 2018-2022 5-Year Estimates.

Age groups:

• Under 5 years
• 5 to 9 years
• 10 to 14 years
• 15 to 19 years
• 20 to 24 years
• 25 to 29 years
• 30 to 34 years
• 35 to 39 years
• 40 to 44 years
• 45 to 49 years
• 50 to 54 years
• 55 to 59 years
• 60 to 64 years
• 65 to 69 years
• 70 to 74 years
• 75 to 79 years
• 80 to 84 years
• 85 years and over

Variables / Data Columns

• Age Group: This column displays the age group for the Milan population analysis. Total expected values are 18 and are define above in the age groups section.
• Population (Male): The male population in the Milan for the selected age group is shown in the following column.
• Population (Female): The female population in the Milan for the selected age group is shown in the following column.
• Total Population: The total population of the Milan for the selected age group is shown in the following column.

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 Milan Population by Age. You can refer the same here

In 2024, ******* foreign citizens lived in the city of Milan. In particular, Egyptian nationals constituted the largest foreign community with ****** residents. The Philippines ranked in at second place with ****** people, followed by China and Peru, with respectively ****** and ****** inhabitants. Moreover, around ****** immigrants had Sri Lankan origin. By comparing these findings with the main nationalities of foreign citizens in Italy, a countertrend emerges. In fact, in the same year, Egypt comprised only the eighth country of origin of immigrants nationwide, while Romania, Albania, and Morocco were the most represented states. On the contrary, foreigners coming from these three nations constituted less than five percent of the immigrant population in Milan each.

About this dataset

Context

The dataset tabulates the Milan town population by age. The dataset can be utilized to understand the age distribution and demographics of Milan town.

Content

The dataset constitues the following three datasets

• Milan, New York Age Group Population Dataset: A complete breakdown of Milan town age demographics from 0 to 85 years, distributed across 18 age groups
• Milan, New York Age Cohorts Dataset: Children, Working Adults, and Seniors in Milan town - Population and Percentage Analysis
• Milan, New York Population Pyramid Dataset: Age Groups, Male and Female Population, and Total Population for Demographics Analysis

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/.

In 2023, dog population in Italy amounted to approximately 14.3 million, an increase of just under two percent compared to the previous year. A possible reason behind the increase in pet ownership in the last four years is the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, when people were confined to their homes and perhaps longing for the comfort and companionship provided by a pet. Favorite pet animals Even though bird and cat populations were larger than dogs’ population in Italy, according to a survey conducted in 2024, dogs were Italians’ favorite pet friends. Close to 42 percent of Italians picked dogs as their preferred pet animal, while about 38 percent indicated cats as their preference. Pet food and pet care The love of Italians for their pet friends is reflected in the amount of money they spend on them: in 2023, over three billion euros was spent on dog and cat food products in Italy. The large increase in pet ownership in Italy in 2022 is likely directly correlated to the displayed increase in cat and dog food product sales.

This statistic shows the ten largest cities in Italy in 2025. In 2025, around 2.75 million people lived in Rome, making it the largest city in Italy. Population of Italy Italy has high population figures and a high population density in comparison to other European countries. A vast majority of Italians lives in urban areas and in the metropolises (as can be seen in this statistic), while other areas, such as the island Sardinia, are rather sparsely inhabited. After an increase a few years ago, Italy’s fertility rate, i.e. the average amount of children born to a woman of childbearing age, is now on a slow decline; however, it is still high enough to offset any significant effect the decrease might have on the country’s number of inhabitants. The median age of Italy’s population has been increasing rapidly over the past 50 years – which mirrors a lower mortality rate – and Italy is now among the countries with the highest life expectancy worldwide, only surpassed by two Asian countries, namely Japan and Hong Kong. Currently, the average life expectancy at birth in Italy is at about 83 years. Most of Italy’s population is of Roman Catholic faith. The country actually boasts one of the largest numbers of Catholics worldwide; other such countries include Brazil, Mexico and the United States. The central government of the Roman Catholic Church, the Holy See, is located in Vatican City in the heart of Italy’s capital and ruled by the Bishop of Rome, the Pope. Officially, Vatican City does not belong to Italy, but is a sovereign state with its own legislation and jurisdiction. It has about 600 inhabitants, who are almost exclusively members of the clergy or government officials.

In 2024, Trentino-South Tyrol was the Italian region where both women and men were predicted to live the longest lives in the whole peninsula. In the German-speaking region, the life expectancy at birth of men was almost 83 years, whereas women were expected to live almost 87 years. The second best ranked region was different for males and females. In Veneto, this figure stood at about 82 years for males and in Veneto at 86 years for females. When compared to the country’s average, women in Trentino-South Tyrol were expected to live roughly three years longer. Long life span and low birth rate Around 20 percent of the Italian population in 2023 was above 65 years. Together with a long life expectancy, Italy also has very low birth and fertility rates. In 2024, the country resulted among the 20 states with the lowest fertility rate in the world. One of the longest-living nations From a global perspective, Italy was the ninth country in the world with the highest life expectancy. The inhabitants of Japan and Liechtenstein were expected to live about 84 years, while Italians' life expectancy was of 83 years.

In 2024, the total number of foreign residents in Italy was over five million people. In 2023, Rome and Milan were the cities with the largest presence of immigrant population, followed by Turin, Naples, and Florence.

In the academic year 2023/2023, 112,000 students were enrolled at La Sapienza University of Rome, the largest Italian university. Pegaso online University followed with 99,600 enrollments. Around 84,000 students attended classes in Bologna, the oldest university in the world and the best in the country. Finally, the University of Turin collected 77,000 students. In total, 1.9 million undergraduates were enrolled at Italian universities. Ancient, public, and digital higher education Among the 20 largest Italian universities, 16 of them are public institutes. The four private universities are the Catholic University of Milan and three online universities. Among them, Pegaso University was founded in 2006 and counts 95,000 students. Many of the world's oldest higher-learning institutions are located in Italy. The University of Bologna is the oldest university, continuously operating since 1088. In 1222, scholars from Bologna founded the University of Padua. Two years later, in 1224, the University of Naples Federico II was established, the oldest public and secular institution globally. In the 14th century were constituted the universities of Perugia, Siena, Pisa, and Pavia. Popular courses of study Back in the Middle Ages, the University of Bologna offered mainly subjects of liberal arts, law, and theology. However, these seem to rank lower among the most common degrees nowadays. Almost 270,000 students in Italy enrolled in medicine programs, the most popular field of study. Moreover, economics was the second most chosen degree program.

About this dataset

Context

The dataset tabulates the Milan population by year. The dataset can be utilized to understand the population trend of Milan.

Content

The dataset constitues the following datasets

• Milan, TN Population Dataset: Yearly Figures, Population Change, and Percent Change Analysis

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/.

About this dataset

Context

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

Key observations

There is a slight majority of female population, with 52.74% of total population being female. Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 2018-2022 5-Year Estimates.

Content

When available, the data consists of estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 2018-2022 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 Milan is shown in this column.
• % of Total Population: This column displays the percentage distribution of each gender as a proportion of Milan 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 Milan Population by Race & Ethnicity. You can refer the same here

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.