Istat, 1.5 million fewer young people in big cities in 30 years

Over the past 30 years, metropolitan cities have lost a total of 1.5 million young people (-24.5% since 1993). As of 1 January 2024, the 14 metropolitan cities had 4.8 million young people in the 0-24 age bracket, more than a third of the national total, which is 13.6 million, and they accounted for 22.6% of the total population, but again with a significant loss compared to 1993 (-10%) when there was one young person for every three. The biggest loss concerns three southern cities, Naples, Catania and Palermo. This is what is stated in the Istat report 'Young people in metropolitan cities: the fragility of educational paths in urban contexts. Years 2022 and 2023'.

In the metropolitan cities of the South and the Islands there is a strong reduction in the youth component above the national average (-23.9%), which drops to -45.3% in the metropolitan city of Cagliari. In the Centre-North the reduction is more attenuated, only the metropolitan city of Bologna registers an increase in the youth population (+13.2%) totally determined by the significant growth of children and young people up to 14 years of age (+42.4%), mitigated by the parallel reduction of 15-24 year olds.

The contraction in the population 0-24 years of age, over a thirty-year period, affects the capital municipalities to a greater extent (-27.7%), which go on to lose even more young people in the 15-24 age group (-39%); the municipality of Cagliari (-56.2%) is significantly distant, followed by Bari (-42.8%). The drop in the number of young residents up to 24 years of age over the last thirty years is the result of a negative natural dynamic of the native population, partially offset by migration flows from abroad that have contributed to making the population structure younger, but over the last decade the contribution of migration has not been sufficient to consistently mitigate the drop in the birth rate.

In metropolitan cities, the gender comparison sees a prevalence of women. The ratio is 94.2 men for every 100 women (in Italy it is 95.7) and this weight, as is well known, increases with age due to the greater longevity of women. From birth to 14 years, however, the male component prevails (106.1) of the population, which continues to grow in boys and young men from 15 to 24 years (108 males for every 100 females).