Birth rate in Italy 2018, by region

In 2018, Trentino-South Tyrol was the region in Italy with the highest birth rate nationwide, with nine births per every 1,000 inhabitants. The following three positions of 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 last 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, except in Trentino-South Tyrol, the only area in which the number of births was slightly higher than those of deaths in 2018. 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. Certainly, the median age is increasing as well. Between 2011 and 2018, the average median age ranged from 43.6 years to 45.2 years.

High lifespans for Italians

Another factor that contributes in 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 steadily rising: in 2018, it stood at 80.8 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.