Aging population of Italy - Statistics & Facts

Italy has the third oldest population in the world. As of 2022, 24 percent of the Italian population were aged 65 years and older, only lower when compared to Monaco and Japan. Monaco has, in fact, the oldest population worldwide, where 36 percent of people were aged 65 years and older. The average age of the Italian population is 46.4 years and has constantly been increasing in recent years, with this projected to grow further in the coming decades. Among the oldest regions of the country are Liguria, Sardinia, and Friuli-Venezia Giulia, while the youngest regions are Campania, in the South, and Trentino-South Tyrol.

Long lifespan and few births

There are two main explanations for Italy's aging population; a high life expectancy and a low birth rate. The result is that people live longer, alongside a declining number of births. Indeed, Italy is among the countries with the highest life expectancy at birth worldwide. For females, it reached 85 years, while for males 80 years. In addition to this, it ranks among the countries with the lowest fertility rates in the world. However, there are some regional differences. The birth rate is highest in the Southern regions and on the Islands, while it is lowest in the Central and North-Western regions.

Economic consequences

There are various economic consequences to an aging population. Different studies have found that when the population and the labor force growth stop, the GDP growth of a country also slows down. In order to sustain an elderly population, governments often come under financial pressure from overextended health and pension, systems, while the labor force needs to pay more to support the vast elderly population. Consequently, an aging population results in an increasing old-age dependency. This indicator refers to the ratio between the number of people aged 65 and over (economically inactive) and the number of people aged between 15 and 64 (working population). In Italy, there are 38 elderly people for every 100 individuals of working age.
This text provides general information. Statista assumes no liability for the information given being complete or correct. Due to varying update cycles, statistics can display more up-to-date data than referenced in the text.
Published by Statista Research Department, May 15, 2023

Key insights

Italy's population
60.5m
Average age of Italian population
46.4 years
Median age of Italian population
47.3 years
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