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Births in Italy dropped to a record low in 2023, the 15th consecutive annual decline, national statistics bureau ISTAT said on Friday, as the population continued to shrink. Italy's ever-falling birth rate is considered a national emergency, but despite successive governments pledging to make it a priority, none have so far been able to halt the drop. Last year Italy recorded 379,000 births, a 3.6% decline on 2022 and a 34.2% drop on 2008 -- the last year Italy saw an increase in the number of babies born. It was also the lowest number since the country's unification in 1861. The fertility rate fell to 1.20 children per woman from 1.24 in 2022 -- far below the rate of 2.1 needed for a steady population. While there were some 282,000 more deaths than births in 2023, Italy's overall population only fell by 7,000 to 58.99 million thanks to the arrival of more foreign migrants and returning Italian emigres. Italy's overall population has been falling steadily since 2014, with a cumulative loss since then of more than 1.36 million people, equivalent to the residents of Milan, the country's second biggest city. In addition, almost one in four residents were above the age of 65, with more people aged over 80 than under 10 for the first time. (Reuters)