Statistics agency projects steady decline from 58.9 million today to 45.8 million within 55 years, as births fall and the population ages.Italy's population is on track to fall by more than 13 million residents by 2080, according to new long-term projections released on Monday by the national statistics agency ISTAT.The report forecasts that Italy's current population of 58.9 million will drop to 55 million by 2050 - a fall of almost four million people - before continuing to decline to 45.8 million by 2080. ISTAT described the ageing of the population as the "most certain" element of the forecast, driven by the country's baby-boom generation moving into old age. The average age is expected to rise from 46.9 in 2025 to 51 by 2050, with over-65s making up 34.5 per cent of the population, up from 24.7 per cent today. The working-age share, defined as those aged 15 to 64, is set to shrink to 55.3 per cent from 63.4 per cent. Births and deaths Births, which fell to around 355,000 last year - the lowest figure since Italian unification in 1861 - are expected to hold roughly steady until 2030 before dropping to 335,000 by 2050 and 281,000 by 2080. Deaths, meanwhile, are forecast to rise from 652,000 in 2025 to a peak of 869,000 in 2058. ISTAT noted that net migration, though remaining positive, will not be enough to offset the widening gap between births and deaths. Annual immigration is projected to dip to around 372,000 by 2050 before rising slightly to 404,000 by 2080. The decline will not be even across the country. Southern Italy and inland areas are expected to lose population fastest, with the south's population forecast to fall from 19.7 million in 2025 to 16.7 million by 2050, while central and northern regions see more modest losses. Shifting demographics The shifting demographics are also reshaping households: by 2050, more than four in 10 Italian families are expected to have no "nucleus" - meaning no couple or parent-child relationship - and childless couples will outnumber those with children for the first time, at 21.4 per cent against 21.1 per cent. The number of people living alone is projected to rise by 16 per cent between 2025 and 2050, increasingly among the elderly. ISTAT said the smaller pool of working-age people would reduce labour supply even as participation rates rise, posing what it called new challenges for the economy and welfare system. Photo credit: sergio capuzzimati / Shutterstock.com

Italy's population is on track to fall by more than 13 million residents by 2080, according to new long-term projections released on Monday by the national statistics agency ISTAT. The  forecasts that Italy's current population of 58.9 million will drop to 55 million by 2050 - a fall of almost four million people - before continuing to decline to 45.8 million by 2080. ISTAT described the ageing of the population as the "most certain" element of the forecast, driven by the country's baby-boom generation moving into old age. The average age is expected to rise from 46.9 in 2025 to 51 by 2050, with over-65s making up 34.5 per cent of the population, up from 24.7 per cent today. The working-age share, defined as those aged 15 to 64, is set to shrink to 55.3 per cent from 63.4 per cent. Births, which fell to around 355,000 last year - the lowest figure since Italian unification in 1861 - are expected to hold roughly steady until 2030 before dropping to 335,000 by 2050 and 281,000 by 2080. Deaths, meanwhile, are forecast to rise from 652,000 in 2025 to a peak of 869,000 in 2058. ISTAT noted that net migration, though remaining positive, will not be enough to offset the widening gap between births and deaths. Annual immigration is projected to dip to around 372,000 by 2050 before rising slightly to 404,000 by 2080. The decline will not be even across the country. Southern Italy and inland areas are expected to lose population fastest, with the south's population forecast to fall from 19.7 million in 2025 to 16.7 million by 2050, while central and northern regions see more modest losses. The shifting demographics are also reshaping households: by 2050, more than four in 10 Italian families are expected to have no "nucleus" - meaning no couple or parent-child relationship - and childless couples will outnumber those with children for the first time, at 21.4 per cent against 21.1 per cent. The number of people living alone is projected to rise by 16 per cent between 2025 and 2050, increasingly among the elderly. ISTAT said the smaller pool of working-age people would reduce labour supply even as participation rates rise, posing what it called new challenges for the economy and welfare system. Photo credit: sergio capuzzimati / Shutterstock.com