Continued record low for births: in 2023, the number of births reaches a record low of 379,890, representing a decline of 3.4% compared to the previous year.
The decrease in births continues into 2024: based on provisional data for January to July, there are 4,600 fewer births compared to the same period in 2023.
The average number of children per woman has decreased to 1.20, down from 1.24 in 2022, while the provisional estimate for the first seven months of 2024 indicates a fertility rate of 1.21.
Ongoing decline in births
In 2023, the number of births among the resident population is 379,890, which is 13,000 fewer than in 2022 (-3.4%). This equates to just over six births per 1,000 residents in Italy.
This decrease, which marks another record low in birth rates, is part of a long-standing trend. Compared to 2008, when the number of live births exceeded 576,000—the highest figure since the early 2000s—there has been a total loss of 197,000 births (-34.1%). The systematic reduction observed during this period has averaged around 13,000 births per year, corresponding to an average annual change rate of 2.7 per thousand.
The decline in births is attributed not only to the now stable low tendency to have children (1.2 children per woman in 2023) but also to structural changes in the female population of childbearing age, conventionally defined as between 15 and 49 years. The number of women in this age group is steadily decreasing. Today, those born during the baby boom (from the second half of the 1960s to the first half of the 1970s) have surpassed the conventional age of 49. A significant portion of those still in childbearing age were born during the so-called baby bust, specifically from 1976 to 1995, a period during which fertility fell from over 2 to a historical low of 1.19 children per woman.
The decrease in births can largely be attributed to the decline in births from couples with both parents being Italian, who account for more than three-quarters of total births. In 2023, births to Italian parents totaled 298,948, approximately 12,000 fewer than in 2022 (-3.9%) and 181,000 fewer than in 2008 (-37.7%). Conversely, births to couples where at least one parent is foreign amounted to 80,942, reflecting a 1.5% decline from 2022 and a 25.1% drop compared to 2012, the year with the highest recorded births. Notably, births from couples with both parents being foreign have decreased by 3.1% from 2022 and 35.6% compared to 2012 (a reduction of 28,447 units).
The trend of declining births is expected to continue into 2024: according to preliminary data for January to July, there has been a decrease of 4,600 births (-2.1%) compared to the same period in 2023.
