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.