In a poignant portrayal of the crisis facing Italy, Sarah Rainsford sheds light on the dramatic decline in birth rates regarding the village of Fregona, located in the scenic Veneto region. The melancholy atmosphere resonates as Giacomo de Luca, the mayor of this quaint north Italian town, strolls through streets lined with shuttered shops and closed businesses, such as supermarkets and restaurants. The stark visual signals of change are alarming; Fregona is emptying as families choose to have fewer children or migrate to urban centers or abroad. The consequences of this demographic shift are severe, threatening the very backbone of community life—its primary school.
De Luca’s sentiments are filled with urgency as he reveals the dire situation facing local education. He illustrates the precarious state of the primary school, describing how the new Year One class cannot form due to insufficient numbers—only four children—a stark deficit compared to the required minimum of ten for funding. “The decline in births and population has been very sharp,” he recounts, revealing that Fregona’s community has dwindled by nearly twenty percent over the last decade, with current inhabitants predominantly elderly. The mayor expresses his fears that if the school closes, children may leave Fregona to attend schools elsewhere, creating a cycle of abandonment that may ultimately lead to extinction for the village.
The issue of declining birth rates is not isolated to Fregona; it is a nationwide crisis afflicting Italy. Over the past ten years, the Italian population has decreased by almost 1.9 million, with births falling for sixteen consecutive years. Current fertility rates are alarmingly low, averaging just 1.18 children per woman, well beneath the necessary threshold of 2.1 to maintain a stable population. Despite efforts by the Italian government, led by Giorgia Meloni’s right-wing administration, to encourage childbirth through family-friendly policies, the crisis persists.
Valentina Dottor, a local residing in Fregona, encapsulates the dilemma as she contemplates motherhood while pushing her ten-month-old daughter, Diletta, in a stroller. Just recently, Valentina has been able to access a €200 monthly allowance for her daughter’s first year, yet she faces the hardship of returning to work soon and the challenges of finding reliable and affordable childcare, stating, “There are not many babies, but not many kindergarten places either.” The underlying concern frequently echoed by young parents like Valentina includes the insurmountable pressures stemming from work-life balance, financial constraints, and logistical challenges, all of which inhibit the decision to have children.
Efforts to combat this demographic decline are emerging from unexpected quarters. In the Veneto region, some companies are taking proactive steps to retain their workforce. For instance, Irinox, a local manufacturer, has pioneered a creche facility near its operations, aimed at making childcare more accessible for employees—a move deemed crucial for alleviating the childcare burden that comes with parenthood. Melania Sandrin, an employee at Irinox, shares how the provision of a creche has been a game-changer for her ability to return to work without relying on family or struggling with the limitations of state-kindergarten availability.
The socioeconomic landscape of Fregona and surrounding areas reflects a changing reality, where parents now scrutinize schools and services alongside financial incentives. Nonetheless, despite federal initiatives offering cash bonuses to bolster childbirth rates and family support, both parents and local leaders stress that merely offering financial assistance is not sufficient. For true change to occur, systemic reforms in childcare accessibility and broader support for working families are necessary. The coming decades foretell troubling projections concerning Italy’s population, with predictions suggesting a potential drop of around five million in coming years, compounding existing eases on the economy and societal structures.
The painful realities faced by families in villages like Fregona encapsulate a larger narrative about Italy’s demographic challenges and the urgent need for comprehensive, supportive solutions to reverse the trends threatening its future vitality. The sentiments articulated by residents reflect a deep concern—worries arguably shared across many similar communities—as they ponder how a nation can foster growth when its very foundation, the family unit, is increasingly threatened.
