Demographics of Italy

Italy is largely homogeneous linguistically and religiously but is diverse culturally, economically, and politically. Italy has the fifth-highest population density in Europe — about 200 persons per square kilometer (490 per square mile).

Minority groups

Officially recognized minority language groups are:

Source: Ministero degli Interni del Governo Italiano.

Religion

Although Roman Catholicism is the majority religion — 85% of native-born citizens are nominally Catholic — all religious faiths are provided equal freedom before the law by the constitution.

Population

Population: 56,305,568 (Jan 2002 census) - 27,260,953 males and 29,044,615 females, presence: 56,133,039

Families: 21,503,088 (55,920,840 Italians in a familiar status, 2,60 Italians per family)

• Most populated town (residents) Rome (RM) 2,459,776
• Less populated town (residents) Morterone (LC) 33
• Greatest human density (residents per km²) Portici (NA) 13,032.1
• Greatest town territory (km²) Rome (RM) 1,285.30
• Smallest town territory (km²) Fiera di Primiero (TN) 0.15

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Statistical indicators

Old data, from the CIA World Factbook 2000(?).

Age structure:
0-14 years: 14% (male 4,220,973; female 3,977,962)
15-64 years: 68% (male 19,413,219; female 19,596,668)
65 years and over: 18% (male 4,297,962; female 6,127,543) (2000 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.09% (2000 est.)

Birth rate: 9.13 births/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Death rate: 9.99 deaths/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Net migration rate: 1.74 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.7 male(s)/female
total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2000 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 5.92 deaths/1,000 live births (2000 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 79.03 years
male: 75.85 years
female: 82.41 years (2000 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.18 children born/woman (2000 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Italian(s)
adjective: Italian

Ethnic groups: Italian (includes small clusters of German-, French-, and Slovenian-Italians in the north and Albanian-Italians and Greek-Italians in the south)

Religions: predominantly Roman Catholic with mature Protestant and Jewish communities and a growing Muslim immigrant community

Languages:

Italian (official);

German (official In South Tyrol, 1991: 287.503 german and 116.914 italian speaking);

French (small French speaking minority in Valle d'Aosta region; standard french is official only in the Valle d'Aosta, but the spoken dialects of this region and of some northern valleys of Piedmont are precisely French-Provencal, which reveals some differences from pure french).

Slovenian (Slovenian-speaking minority in the Trieste-Gorizia area).

Sardinian (in the island of Sardinia), now partly official;

Ladin (official in parts of South Tyrol, the Dolomite mountains, between Trentino-Alto Adige and Veneto), connected with swiss Romansh;

Friulian (in the Friuli region), presents similarities with ladin.

Occitan (in the southern Piedmont valleys)

Catalan (in the town of Alghero, Sardinia).

Albanian (villages in Calabria and Sicily);

Greek (ancient dialects in villages of Calabria).

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 98% (1998)
male: NA%
female: NA%

See also

• Italy

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