MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 07th April, 2023) Italy's birth rate has dropped to a record low of less than 400,000 newborns in 2022, with mortality rate remaining high, the Italian National Institute of Statistics (Istat) said on Friday.
"Birth rate at an all-time low, mortality still high: less than 7 newborns and more than 12 deaths per 1,000 inhabitants," the statement read.
Italy has been on a downward trend in the number of births since 2008, and for the first time since the country's unification in the mid-1800s, the figure has fallen below the 400,000 mark to 393,000, according to Istat.
The drop in the birth rate is due to a number of factors, primarily the decline and gradual aging of the female population, Istat added.
Low birth rates over the years have reportedly strained pension and healthcare systems across Europe, as the number of working-age adults able to support an aging population has declined. Italy is one of the hardest-hit countries, which had to raise its retirement age to 67 to keep the system financially sustainable.
