Italy's births set to sink to a record low in 2026

Italy Expected to Reach Record Low Birth Rate by 2026, ISTAT Reports

ISTAT Highlights Ongoing Demographic Crisis in Italy

Historic Decline in Births

ROME, Oct 21 (Reuters) - Italy is set to suffer a further drop in the number of births this year to a historic low, aggravating the country's demographic crisis, national statistics bureau ISTAT said on Wednesday.

• Italy last year recorded just 355,772 births, the lowest figure since Italian unification in 1861, and the 17th consecutive year in which the figure declined.

Recent Birth Rate Trends

• In the first seven months of 2026 the negative trend continued, with just under 197,000 newborns, down 1.1%  from the same period of 2025, ISTAT said in a statement.

• The fertility rate, measuring the average number of children born to each woman of child-bearing age, edged down in January-July to 1.13, from last year's record low of 1.14.

National Response and Societal Factors

• Italy's long-declining birth rate is considered a national emergency.

• Despite Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and her predecessors' pledges to confront the issue, no one has been able to halt the drop.

Demographic Details and Naming Trends

• ISTAT reported that in 2025 the average age of women when they had their first child was 32, broadly in line with the year before.

• In 2025 44.1% of children were born to unmarried parents, up from 43.2% the year before.

• The most common first names given to Italian children born last year were Sofia for girls and Leonardo for boys.

Reporting Credits

(Reporting by Gavin JonesEditing by Keith Weir)