Italian welfare systems are already struggling to cope with the ageing of the population, and there is no consensus on what to do about it. #EuropeNews

Italian welfare systems are already struggling to cope with the ageing of the population, and there is no consensus on what to do about it.

Italy has long had one of the lowest birth rates in the EU, and the country is ageing at a much faster rate than other member states, and it appears to be getting worse.

According to government statistics, the average number of children per Italian woman has dropped from 1.24 in 2022 to 1.2 in 2023. Experts say that if the country’s population crisis continues, Italy’s population of 59 million could fall by almost 1 million by 2030.

And the effects of the crisis are already being felt, with the ageing of the population causing problems for Italy’s healthcare and pension systems.

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    And the effects of the crisis are already being felt, with the ageing of the population causing problems for Italy’s healthcare and pension systems.

    Addressing the crisis is one of the government’s core policies, and a top priority of the parliament’s ruling far-right party, the Brothers of Italy.

    The event offered a chance to discuss what is being described as a cross-party national emergency, but a brief interruption by a group of young activists who attacked the government’s anti-abortion measures showed how politically divisive the subject still is.

    Gigi De Palo, head of the Foundation for the Birth Rate, insisted the crisis should be treated as apolitical, pointing out that it affects people in many different demographics.

    The general director of the Italian National Institute of Statistics, Sabrina Prati, told Euronews the crisis has been “persistent” for many years.

    In 2023 alone the government allocated around 1 billion euros for measures aimed at helping women cope with motherhood and work.

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