Birth crisis in the neighboring country: Mamma mia, Italy is shrinking!

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Even today, women do most of the education. While about 80 percent of Swiss fathers were working full-time in 2021, for mothers it was only about 17 percent, as the Federal Statistical Office shows. Although many women therefore think twice about having children, there is no birth crisis in this country. In Italy it is different.

Figures from the Italian statistics agency Istat show that the birth rate has fallen by 27 percent over the past two decades. Only 393,000 children were born last year – the number of newborns has never been so low since the unification of Italy in 1861. Istat warns of a crisis. By 2070, the population could drop from 59 to 48 million – with an average age of 50 years.

Mothers need more support

The Financial Times describes the falling birth rate as “the result of decades of economic stagnation and political indifference to women’s aspirations”. Dr Maria Teresa Gervasi, head of the Department of Obstetrics at the University of Padua, told the journal: “Women who want children choose not to conceive because of the poor social organization of mothers. They still have to take care of their children – without help from the government.”

Nevertheless, the conservative Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni (46) is trying to restore the traditional family image. Women need to flourish again in motherhood and be encouraged to take on the care of the children. At the same time, LGBTIQ+ couples are discouraged from having children. For example, in vitro fertilization is only allowed for heterosexual couples.

Higher birth rates in neighboring country

Maria Letizia Tanturri, demographer at the University of Padua, doubts whether such old-fashioned family photos can avert the birth crisis: “Everything is based on the idea that mothers stay at home”. Self-development and a career are therefore difficult to combine with children.

State kindergartens are rare in Italy, private kindergartens are unaffordable for many. In addition, school is usually out earlier – and there are no afternoon care options. For many women, children mean one thing above all: giving up a career, free time and money. “The assumption here is that you lose your life when you become a mother,” Tanturri told the Financial Times.

The situation is different in Sweden, Germany and France. There they count on state support for mothers, so that career and motherhood can be reconciled. For example, the Rijkskinderopvang was expanded. Flexible working hours and gender equality were also promoted – with success: in Sweden the birth rate is 1.66, in Germany 1.53 and in France even 1.83. Switzerland lags slightly behind at 1.46 – the reason for this could also be the relatively low social benefits here.

Source: Blick