Over recent years, Italian demography is characterized by a steady decrease of births, a high number of deaths and a small positive migration balance, which have led to a contraction of the total population. Low fertility has been persistent for three decades, and is a direct cause of population ageing. The intergenerational imbalance is a serious challenge for Italy’s future and its labour market. A «demographic trap» is in motion: few children of the past are making fewer parents of today, producing ever fewer children for the future. The fear for the post Covid-19 era in Italy is a further decrease of fertility, induced by social and economic uncertainty, which will push potential parents to postpone their reproductive behavior or forego it all together.
