Falling birth rate, in Italy the main motivation of those who have no children is economic

In the last 10 years, in Italy, the number of newborns decreased by 25%: In 2021, only 400,249 babies were born into the world. But what makes us think are above all the motivations of those who choose not to have children: research has identified them «Children: an expensive wealth» commissioned by Plasmon and conducted by Community Research & Analysis under the direction of Daniele Marini (University of Padua) on a representative sample of the national population.

As the name of the survey suggests, the decision not to become parents is mainly linked to the economic (costs) and working (fear of losing your job) and organizational (lack of services for families) spheres indicated by more than one out of two Italians (53.5%). On the other hand, the personal sphere (40.9%) and that linked to health (36.4%) are less relevant. In detail, i costs to support the children they appear to be the main reason that pushes people not to have children (69.2%). But the fear of losing your job or having negative professional consequences (60.2%) and the lack of services for families with children (55.1%) are also notable.

Despite the difficult economic and social situation, more than one Italian out of two (57.4%) has at least one child and a third of them would like to have more children (34.3%). Among those who do not have children (42.6%) however, 40.4% would like to have one. Italians experience the current context as highly “uncertain” (53.7%) and problematic, such as to inspire “fear” for the future (37.3%).

This is why the Adam projectan initiative created by Plasmon in collaboration with the Birth Foundation which aims to build a open platformto connect the representatives of the public and private spheres, to act concretely and try to reverse the negative trend in the birth rate with tools to support parenting.

The Adamo plan seeks to collect concrete proposals from the corporate world, pool them at the next edition of the General States of the Natality scheduled for May and then share them with the institutions, through the construction of a bill in favor of the birth rate.

«The involvement of companies and the networking of good corporate welfare practices is one of the cornerstones of our strategic plan for the birth rate. We cannot think of countering the demographic crisis without creating a favorable and welcoming working environment for women», explains Eugenia Maria Roccella, Minister for Equal Opportunities and the Family. «We are working on an important plan for motherhood, because the key to getting out of the demographic winter is the freedom of women to be mothers without giving up their personal and professional fulfilment. We predict accompanying measures for mothers, a network of capillary servicesa proximity welfare which is also an investment in the future, a code of ethics for businesses».

The birth rate is the new challenge for the country’s future. «The opportunity to team up. On this issue there are no majorities and oppositions, there is only one target to be achieved: 500,000 newborns between now and 2033», says Konstantinos Delialis, Managing Director Italy of Plasmon.

“In Italy the birth of a child is the second cause of poverty», added Gigi De Palo, President of the Birth Foundation. “Let’s put young people in a position to make their dreams come true and we will also make progress on the issue of the birth rate”.

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