Italy: share of elderly population 2009-2021

In 2021, 23.4 percent of the total population in Italy was 65 years and older. According to data, the share of elderly people in the Italian society has been growing constantly in recent years. Consequently, the share of young population experienced a decrease in the last years. As a result, the average age of Italians has risen. For instance, in 2011 it was 43.6 years, whereas in 2020 it was estimated to be 45.7 years.

The oldest country in Europe

In 2019, Italy was the European country with the largest percentage of elderly population. That year, 22.8 percent of the total population was aged 65 years and older. Greece and Portugal followed in the ranking, while Turkey had the lowest share of elder population. An increasingly longer lifespan might provide an explanation for such a high share of old people in Italy. Italy ranks among the countries with the highest life expectancy worldwide. In Europe, only people in Switzerland and Spain can expect to live longer.

Less babies than ever

The share of young people is getting slimmer not only because the elderly are living longer than ever before, but also because Italians are having fewer children compared to previous years. The birth rate in the country has been constantly decreasing: in 2019, seven babies were born per 1,000 inhabitants, about two children less than in 2010. In the South of Italy, the birth rate stood at 7.5 infants per 1,000 inhabitants, whereas in the Center this figure reached 6.9 in 2019, the highest and lowest rates in the country, respectively.