Istat said on Wednesday births in Italy are expected to fall to a historic low
in 2026, worsening the country’s demographic crisis. In the first seven months
of 2026 newborns totaled just under 197,000, down 1.1% year-on-year. Total
births in 2025 were 355,800, the lowest since Italy’s unification in 1861 and
the 17th consecutive annual decline. Istat said the long-term fall in the birth
rate is regarded as a national emergency.
