Births in Italy fell to record low of 355,000 in 2025, set to drop further this year

(ANSA) - ROME, 21 OTT - Births in Italy fell to a new record low of 355,772 in 2025, about 14,000 fewer than in 2024, and look set to drop further this year, Istat said on Wednesday. The national statistics agency said there were 196,864 births in Italy between January and July 2026, a drop of 1.1% with respect to the same period last year. It said the average number of children per woman also reached a new low of 1.14 in 2025, down from1.18 in 2024. Istat said the average age at which mothers give birth to their first child here is 32, and 44.1% of births occur outside of marriage. Sofia and Leonardo are the most popular names for babies. Births in Italy have been on a downward trend since 2008, when 576,000 babies were born here. Premier Giorgia Meloni has said reversing Italy's declining birth rates is an "absolute priority" and her government has brought in support measures for families and means tested tax breaks for working mothers. Istat also said Wednesday that Italy's resident population of Italy stood at 58,949,500 on July 31, an increase of 7,000 with respect to the beginning of the year. (ANSA).
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