Pope Francis has called on politicians to find solutions to stop the decline in the birth rate in Italy, warning of a “demographic winter” and that young people are facing “tremendous efforts” to establish families in a difficult environment.
The 86-year-old Pontiff opened the second day of a conference in Rome of politicians, business and society officials to discuss the sharp drop in the number of births in Italy, a figure experts warn would impoverish the country.
For the first time last year, the number of births in Italy fell below the 400,000 threshold, to 393,000, according to the National Statistical Institute (ISTAT).
This number compares to 713,499 deaths out of a population of about 58 million.
Pope Francis was warmly welcomed by applause when he appeared on the podium to address the conference alongside Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, and said that today’s younger generations “live in a social climate in which the creation of a family turns into a titanic effort, rather than a shared value recognized and supported by all.”