In 2024, fertility in Italy has reached a new all-time low of 1.18 children per woman, breaking the previous negative record of 1.19 in 1995. This is confirmed by demographic data issued yesterday by Istat, which show a fall in births: in 2024, 370 thousand children were born, 2.6% less than in 2023 and far less than the 526 thousand in 1995. The number of fatalities is also declining, with 651 thousand deaths in 2024 (a 3.1% decrease from 2023), showing a return to levels that were more indicative of the prepandemic era. However, the natural balance, or the gap between births and deaths, remains severely negative (-281 thousand). The decrease in births is attributed not only to lower fertility, but also to a decrease in the number of possible parents, which is a result of recent population decline. Between 1995 and 2025, the female population of childbearing age (15-49 years) has decreased from 14.3 to 11.4 million, while the male population in the same age group has dropped from 14.5 to 11.9 million.