Italy is set to suffer a further drop in the number of births this year to a new historical low, aggravating the country's demographic crisis, national statistics bureau ISTAT has reported.⁣ ⁣ Last year recorded just 370,000 new births, the lowest figure since Italy's unification in 1861, and the 16th year in a row in which the figure declined.⁣ ⁣ In the first seven months of 2025 the negative trend continued, with just under 198,000 newborns, down 6.3% from the same period of 2024, ISTAT said in a statement.⁣ ⁣ The fertility rate, measuring the average number of children born to each woman of child-bearing age, fell in January-July to 1.13, from last year's record low of 1.18.⁣ ⁣ Italy's long-declining birth rate is considered a national emergency. But despite Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and her predecessors' pledges to confront the issue, no one has been able to halt the drop.⁣ ⁣ #italy #births #birthrate #europe #eu #fallingbirthrates