Italian society continues to grow older despite a recent upsurge in the number of births after years of decline, according to a study by national statistics bureau Istat.
According to the report, 20% of Italian society is currently over 65 years of age while the percentage of young people under 18 has fallen from 18.4% in 1995 to 17.1% in 2005.
At this rate, Istat pointed out, by the year 2050 65-year-olds may represent as much as 34% of society, while those under 18 will be only 15.4% of the population. Slowing this trend down has been an increase in the number of births in Italy.
According to Istat, Italian women in 2004 had an average of 1.33 children, but this figure rose to 1.34 in 2005, the highest birthrate in the past 15 years.
The greatest increases in the number of births, Istat said, were in northern and central Italy. In the north, the birthrate climbed from 1.05 children in 1995 to 1.34 in 2005, while in central Italy it rose from 1.07 to 1.28.
In its report, Istat also said that the central-eastern region of Marche had the highest life expectancy for both men and women, while Campania in the south had the lowest.
