Italy's birth rate falls as mothers' age rises

The 2025 Italian birth report shows a continued decline in births, with 353,240 deliveries recorded, down from 370,577 the previous year. The average age of Italian mothers at delivery rose to 33.4 years (up from 33.3), while foreign mothers averaged 31.4 years. First‑time mothers are now 32.5 years old on average, compared with 29.4 for foreign first‑time mothers.

Fertility fell to 1.14 children per woman, down from 1.35 in 2015. The lowest regional fertility is in Sardinia (0.8), the highest in Trentino‑Alto Adige (1.4). Cesarean sections accounted for 29.8% of births, with a gap between public hospitals (28%) and accredited care homes (45%). Campania records the highest regional cesarean rate at 43.7%, followed by Sicily and Sardinia. Public hospitals or equivalent handled 91.3% of deliveries; about 10% occurred in facilities with fewer than 500 births per year, deemed less safe. Fathers were present at 94.7% of births, and neonatal mortality stood at 2.20 per 1,000 live births.