ROME: Births in Italy fell last year by nearly 4%, with its fertility rate dropping to a historic low not seen since 1945, due to economic pressures and lack of help for working mothers, a report published Tuesday found.With 355,000 babies born in 2025, the fertility rate, or the average number of children per woman, dropped to 1.14, according to the report by the Birthrate Foundation together with Italy’s National Institute of Statistics (Istat).Italy would need a fertility rate of 2.1 children per woman to maintain a stable population without immigration, the report found.“The desire for motherhood and fatherhood is still present, but it often clashes with job insecurity, high costs, incompatible lifestyles and inadequate services,” the report said.(BY AFP)
