THE children born out of wedlock they are becoming more and more a new normality: today they are almost one in twoespecially among mothers under 25 and among Italian couples. But the phenomenon is not uniform across Italy: the geographical area also makes a difference, and Sardinia is the region with the highest percentages.
The most recent Istat data tell of a double profound change in Italian demographics: on the one hand the collapse in birthson the other one cultural transformation in the way of starting a family.
In 2024, the average number of children per woman fell to 1.18: the lowest value ever recorded. Provisional estimates for the first months of 2025 are even less encouraging and indicate a further decline to 1.13. But within this framework of demographic crisis, there is a fact that clearly signals a new trend.
Being born out of wedlock is no longer an exception. In 2024 the 43% of children was born from unmarried couples. For comparison: in 2008 it was only one in five children. In just over 15 years, therefore, the share of births outside of marriage has more than doubled and marriage is less and less perceived as a necessary step to becoming parents.
Almost the86% of births out of wedlock concerns celibate and unmarried parentsthat is, couples who consciously choose to have children without first getting married.
This trend it is not the same throughout Italybut even in the areas traditionally most linked to marriage, the gap with the rest of the country is rapidly narrowing. The Central Italy it is in fact the geographical area where the most births occur by unmarried couples (50%), followed by the North (43%). But even in the South, this phenomenon is growing strongly, reaching 40%, with a leap forward of almost 2 percentage points in just one year.
Differences also emerge at a regional level: in the North there is a higher percentage of births outside of marriage Aosta Valley and in the Autonomous Province of Bolzanoin the center in Umbria and Lazio, while in the south in Abruzzo. However, the absolute highest percentage is recorded in Sardinia.
Young people lead the change: among the mothers under 25almost 2 thirds (62%) of children are born out of wedlock. This share drops to 44% among 25-34 year olds and to 38.5% among those over 34: the lower it goes with age, the more the choice to have children without getting married becomes the norm.
Finally there is one clear distinction linked to citizenship: among Italian couples, 47% of births occur outside of marriage, while among foreign couples the percentage drops to 28%. This gap shows how the change is more linked to an Italian cultural phenomenon than to immigration.
In summary, in Italy fewer and fewer children are being had, but more and more often out of wedlock. Religious or civil unions are losing their centrality, especially among younger people and in some areas of the country, while families with unmarried couples are becoming more and more frequent.
