Population, Mid-Year 2019: 60,550,000
Population Density (Population Per Square Kilometer), Mid-Year 2019: 206
Projected Population Mid-Year 2030: 59,031,000
Percentage of Population Under Age 25 Years, Mid-Year 2019: 23%
Percentage of Population 65 Years Or Over, Mid-Year 2019: 23%

Source: United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2019). World Population Prospects 2019: Data Booklet (ST/ESA/SER.A/424).

Annual Population Growth Rate 2000-2020: 0.3%
Projected Annual Population Growth Rate 2020-2030: -0.2%
Proportion of Urban Population, 2020: 71%
Annual Growth Rate of Urban Population 2000-2020: 0.6%
Projected Annual Growth Rate of Urban Population 2020-2030: 0.2%

“Italy is a parliamentary republic in Southern Europe, with a population of almost 61 million in 2012, making it the sixth most populous country in Europe. The country covers 301 340 km2 and extends from the north where it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and Slovenia to the south where it includes the Mediterranean islands of Sardinia and Sicily and a cluster of other smaller islands. The country has 20 regions (the region of Trentino AltoAdige is split into the Autonomous Province of Trento and the Autonomous Province of Bolzano). In addition, enclaves within mainland Italy include the countries of San Marino and the Holy See, a papal state mostly enclosed by Rome, Italy’s capital (Fig. 1.1). Five out of the 20 regions (namely Valle d’Aosta, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Province of Trento, Province of Bolzano, Sicily and Sardinia) are granted home rule; the Constitution (article 116) acknowledges their powers in relation to legislation, administration and finance. In return, these regions have to finance their health-care and education systems, and most public infrastructure through their own means. These particular institutional arrangements were designed to take into account cultural differences and protect linguistic minorities. In fact, Italian is the major language throughout the country, although there are small areas in which German (in parts of Trentino-Alto-Adige), French (in Valle d’Aosta) and Slovene (in the TriesteGorizia area) are spoken. The dominant religion is Roman Catholicism but the Constitution guarantees freedom of worship to religious minorities, which are primarily Protestant, Muslim and Jewish.”

Source: Ferré F, de Belvis AG, Valerio L, Longhi S, Lazzari A, Fattore G, Ricciardi W, Maresso A. Italy: Health System Review. Health Systems in Transition, 2014, 16(4):1–168.

“Population density on average is 206.4 inhabitants per km2 and most of the population clusters around metropolitan areas and along the coasts (urban population accounts for 69% of total population). The structure of the population changed significantly between 1980 and 2012 owing to marked declines in fertility rates (from 1.6 to 1.4 births per woman) and increases in life expectancy at birth (from 74 to 82 years). Italy has one of the lowest total fertility rates in the world: in 2011, it was 1.4 births per woman, far below the replacement level (Table 1.1). The average population growth rate is, therefore, very low (0.3 in 2012), one of the lowest in the European Union (EU), and immigration is the source of most of this growth (World Bank, 2013). The population is also aging quite rapidly: in 2012 the proportion of the population aged 65 or over was 20.8%.”

Source: Ferré F, de Belvis AG, Valerio L, Longhi S, Lazzari A, Fattore G, Ricciardi W, Maresso A. Italy: Health System Review. Health Systems in Transition, 2014, 16(4):1–168.

Health Systems Facts is a project of the Real Reporting Foundation. We provide reliable statistics and other data from authoritative sources regarding health systems in the US and sixteen other nations.

Page last updated Sept. 20, 2022 by Doug McVay, Editor.