YOUTH POPULATION DECLINES AS NUMBER OF ELDERLY RISES IN ITALY

Mon 20 May 2024:

Italy has seen a significant decline in the number of young adults over the past two decades, while the elderly population has grown, according to government data released on Wednesday.

The National Institute of Statistics (ISTAT) highlighted in its 2024 Annual Report that more young Italians are staying with their parents longer, and that Italians are marrying and having children later in life.

The number of young adults, defined as those aged 18 to 34, dropped by over 3 million in the 21-year period ending last year. In 2002, there were 13.39 million young adults, but by last year, that number had decreased to 10.33 million, a reduction of 22.9 percent.

Conversely, the elderly population in Italy has surged. From 1994 to last year, the number of elderly people increased from 9.1 million to 14.1 million, marking a 54.4 percent rise.

These changes in Italy’s demographics are attributed to declining birthrates, low immigration rates, and increased life expectancy.

The average age for women having their first child has risen to 31.6 years, up from 29.7 years in 2002. Similarly, men are now getting married at an average age of 36.5, compared to 31.7 in 2002, while for women, the average age of first marriage has gone from 28.9 to 33.6.

SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES

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