Italy census, population decreasing: Istat data

The population is decreasing in all regions of Italy, especially in the South and in the Islands. Istat underlines this with regard to the data from the ‘Population Census and demographic dynamics 2020’. In total, “as of 31 December 2020, the reference date of the third edition of the Permanent Census, the population in Italy numbered 59,236,213 residents, down by 0.7% compared to 2019 (-405,275 individuals). This decrease is mainly attributable to the demographic dynamics between 1st January and 31st December 2020: in fact, the balance due to the total demographic movement (natural balance plus migration), inferable from the personal data sources, recorded 362,507 fewer units “. “The count of the habitually residing population, carried out on the basis of ‘administrative life signals’, then determined a further statistical adjustment equal to -42,768 units: this – he adds – is a balance due to the difference between units counted in addition to the population registered in the register and deducted units. At the level of geographical distribution, the balance due to the statistical census adjustment is positive in the Center-North and negative in the South; in particular, in Central Italy almost 30 thousand units have been counted as habitually residing more than the calculated population, and 20 thousand more units in North-Western Italy, while in the South over 97 thousand fewer “. The foreigners registered are 5,171,894; the incidence on the total population is 8.7 foreigners for every 100 registered. In the face of a greater presence of the foreign component compared to 2019, the Italian population is 537,532 units lower “, concludes Istat, adding that however the result is the result of” an effect mainly due to the different methodology adopted for the calculation. TERRITORIAL DISTRIBUTION “L ” amount of population at 31 December 2020 is lower than that of 2019 in all divisions, in particular in the South (-1.2% in Southern Italy and -1% in the Islands) – observes the Institute – almost everywhere, in with the exception of the autonomous provinces of Bolzano and Trento, the decrease is mainly due to the recessive demographic dynamics of 2020 “. “The territorial distribution of the population is almost unchanged compared to the 2019 census: 46.3% reside in Northern Italy, 19.8% in Central Italy, the remaining 33.8% in the South and the Islands. More than 50 % of the residents are concentrated in 5 regions, one for each geographical area (Lombardy, Veneto, Lazio, Campania and Sicily) “. “All the regions recorded a contraction of the resident population with the exception of Tuscany, which has an almost zero change compared to 2019 due to the effect of the census recovery which canceled the negative contribution of the demographic dynamics. The greatest drops are observed in Molise (-2, 1%), Calabria (-1.8%), Campania (-1.5%) and Sardinia (-1.3%) “, underlines Istat. PREVALENCE OF WOMEN CONFIRMED (51.3%), OLDER POPULATION The prevalence of women, due to the progressive aging of the population and greater life expectancy, is also confirmed in 2020. They represent 51.3% of the total, surpassing men of 1,503,761 units. “The masculinity ratio is therefore equal to 95 men for every 100 women, more balanced than in 2011 when there were 93.5 men for every 100 women – underlines Istat – As in 2019, the highest masculinity ratio is recorded in Trentino-Alto. Adige (97.7) while it drops further in Sardinia (95.8 from 96.6) and Calabria (95.3 from 96). However, there are 2,575 municipalities where the masculinity ratio is unbalanced in favor of men (the 32.6% of the total against 23.5% in 2011) “. “These are mostly small municipalities in which the high masculinity ratio is due to the prevalence of the male component among the foreign population. As in 2019, the highest masculinity ratio is recorded in Briga Alta in the province of Cuneo (215 , 4), the lowest one in Montebello sul Sangro in the province of Chieti (with just 63 men for every 100 women) “, he continues. The aging of the population is also accentuated. “The age structure is confirmed again in 2020 strongly unbalanced in favor of the elderly component of the population – continues Istat – Compared to the previous year for both genders, the percentage weight of classes 25-29, 35-39, 40-44 falls slightly and 75-79 years, while that of the 55-59, 60-64 and 70-74 age groups increases (always slightly). Consequently, the average age also increases, from 45 to 45.4 years, albeit with a certain variability in the geography of aging “. CAMPANIA THE YOUNGEST REGION, LIGURIA THE OLDEST “Campania, with an average age of 42.8 years (42 in 2019), continues to be the youngest region, Liguria the oldest (48.7 as in 2019) ) “. “The youngest municipality is, as in 2019, Orta di Atella, in the province of Caserta (average age 35.7 years), while the oldest is Ribordone, in the province of Turin (average age 66.1 years) – emerges from the data – The imbalance in the age pyramid of the population is also clearly highlighted by the comparison between the number of elderly people (65 years and over) and that of children under 6 years of age. In 2020 for each child there are 5.1 elderly people national level, a value that drops to 3.8 in Trentino-Alto Adige and Campania, and reaches 7.6 in Liguria “. MORE THAN 5.1 MILLION FOREIGNERS “As of December 31, 2020 there were 5,171,894 foreigners, 132,257 more than the previous year”. “The count of the foreign population was defined on the basis of the demographic dynamics of the personal data source (natural balance and migratory balance) in the year 2020, combined with the results deriving from the ‘administrative life signs’ (balance between over and under coverage of personal data foreigners) – he observes – Therefore, compared to the population obtained at the end of the year based on the flow data of demographic dynamics alone, the number of foreigners surveyed is about 150 thousand more, as a result of a ‘statistical adjustment’ of this magnitude “. “The average age is 34.8 years but the male component (32.9) is younger than the female component (36.7) by almost 4 years, thanks to a higher incidence of males aged 0-29. There are 1,047,873 foreign minors, equal to 20.3% of the total foreign population surveyed “, emerges from the data. “Comparing the structure by gender and age of Italians with that of foreigners, a full similarity emerges in the distribution by gender, with a slight prevalence of women (51.2% for foreigners and 51.3% for Italians) and a significant discrepancy in the profile by age: the age pyramid of Italians has in fact an inverted shape compared to that of foreigners – he concludes – The share of minors is equal to 15.4% among Italians and 20.3% among foreigners. , 12.3% of foreigners are less than 10 years old against 7.7% of Italians, while those over 60 are about 9% among foreigners and almost a third among compatriots “.