ISTAT said Oct. 21 that births continued to fall in 2026. At 355,772, 2025 had Italy’s lowest annual birth tally since unification in 1861.
The provisional count for January through July was 196,864, compared with 198,975 in the same months of 2025, a 1.1% year-over-year decline. The 2025 total was 355,772, down 3.8% from the previous year.
ISTAT estimated the fertility rate at 1.13 children per woman for the first seven months of 2026. The rate was 1.14 in 2025 and 1.18 in 2024.
The agency linked part of the decline to a smaller pool of potential parents, following decades of low fertility.
Separate monthly demographic data showed Italy's population was about 7,000 higher on July 31 than at the start of the year. Deaths outnumbered births, while more people moved to Italy from abroad than left the country for destinations abroad.
