Fertility rate vs. unmet need for contraception in Italy
Italy: Fertility rate vs. unmet need for contraception was 1.18 births per woman in 2024. ▼ Falling
Fertility rate vs. unmet need for contraception in Italy, 1960–2024
Source: United Nations Population Division, national statistical offices, and Eurostat, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in births per woman.
Analysis
Italy recorded 1.18 births per woman for fertility rate vs. unmet need for contraception in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 65 years on record.
The figure is down 2.5% on the previous year and down 14.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, fertility rate vs. unmet need for contraception in Italy peaked at 2.66 births per woman in 1964 and was at its lowest, 1.18 births per woman, in 2024.
Italy ranks 198th of 215 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 65 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 2.51 births per woman | 2.4 births per woman | 2.66 births per woman | 10 |
| 1970s | 2.14 births per woman | 1.73 births per woman | 2.4 births per woman | 10 |
| 1980s | 1.45 births per woman | 1.33 births per woman | 1.64 births per woman | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.24 births per woman | 1.19 births per woman | 1.33 births per woman | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.34 births per woman | 1.25 births per woman | 1.44 births per woman | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.37 births per woman | 1.27 births per woman | 1.44 births per woman | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.22 births per woman | 1.18 births per woman | 1.25 births per woman | 5 |
Countries ranked near Italy
More population data for Italy
- Population growth rate, by level of development -0.7% (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 1.26 million people (2100)
- Population density 119.63 people per km² (2100)
- World population growth -0.7% (2100)
- Total fertility rate vs. wanted fertility rate 1.18 births per woman (2024)
- Refugees by country of asylum 312,849 people (2024)
- Total fertility rate vs. contraceptive prevalence 1.18 births per woman (2024)
- Natural population growth rate -0.5% (2023)
- Fertility rate: births per woman 1.2 live births per woman (2023)
- Fertility rate vs. GDP per capita 1.2 live births per woman (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is fertility rate vs. unmet need for contraception in Italy?
- Fertility rate vs. unmet need for contraception in Italy was 1.18 births per woman in 2024, according to United Nations Population Division, national statistical offices, and Eurostat, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest fertility rate vs. unmet need for contraception recorded in Italy?
- The highest recorded value was 2.66 births per woman in 1964.
- What is the lowest fertility rate vs. unmet need for contraception recorded in Italy?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.18 births per woman in 2024.
- How does Italy rank for fertility rate vs. unmet need for contraception?
- Italy ranks 198th out of 215 countries with data for 2024.
- Is fertility rate vs. unmet need for contraception rising or falling in Italy?
- Over the last ten years it is down 14.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Italy data come from?
- The figures come from United Nations Population Division, national statistical offices, and Eurostat, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Fertility rate vs. unmet need for contraception. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 65 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
The total fertility rate, in a given year. The unmet need for contraception shows the estimated share of married fertile women of reproductive age who do not want to become pregnant and are not using contraception.