Italy is facing a growing problem with fewer babies being born each year. New figures from the national statistics office, Istat, show that in 2023, 358 small towns and villages recorded not a single birth. That number is up from 328 just five years earlier. Most of these places are in rural areas or up in the mountains, where young people have moved away for work in bigger cities.
The country as a whole saw only 379,000 births in 2023. That’s a record low. The fertility rate sits at about 1.2 children per woman, well below the 2.1 needed to keep the population steady without immigration. Nearly one in four Italians is now over 65. Experts say this trend could become hard to reverse.
Projections paint a worrying picture. Istat estimates the population, currently around 59 million, could drop to 54.7 million by 2050. That means losing millions of people over the next few decades. Fewer working-age adults will support more retirees, putting pressure on pensions and healthcare.
Many small communities feel the effects already. Places like Morterone, Italy’s tiniest village with just a handful of residents, rarely see new babies.
When one is born, it’s big news locally. But in hundreds of others, no births have happened for years. Schools close, shops shut, and traditions fade as populations shrink.
Young Italians often cite reasons for delaying or skipping kids. Jobs are hard to find, especially stable ones. Housing costs a lot in cities. Childcare is limited. Many live with parents into their 30s because wages haven’t kept up.
Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has made this a priority. Her government offers bonuses for new babies, sometimes up to €1,000. There are tax breaks for families and extra funds for support.
Meloni talks about protecting traditional families and making it easier to have children. Yet births kept falling in 2023 and into the next years.
Some point to empty cradles as a symbol of what’s coming. Maternity wards have quiet rooms. Villages turn quieter with more elderly residents chatting in squares.
Older people gather in small towns, playing cards or talking. They remember busier times. Now, many places feel the strain of an ageing country.
Italy isn’t alone in Europe with low birth rates. But it’s one of the hardest hit. Debates continue on fixes, from better jobs to more help for parents. For now, the numbers tell a story of change in villages across the country. People watch to see if policies can turn things around. The coming years will show more about Italy’s future shape.
