in recent years, Italy has faced a demographic shift, with a rising number of citizens moving abroad in search of better opportunities, while only a smaller fraction of expatriates chooses to return home. According to the Fondazione Migrantes’ 19th report on Italians abroad, Italy has lost around 652,000 residents since 2020, while the number of Italians living outside the country has increased by 11.8% in the same period.

As of the latest report, over 6.1 million Italians are now registered as living abroad, with regions like Sicily, Lombardy, and Veneto contributing significantly to this demographic. In particular, 45.8% of these expatriates are from southern Italy, highlighting the economic challenges facing Italy’s southern regions. This shift poses a complex challenge, as the trend impacts regions already struggling with economic depression and depopulation, and threatens the livelihood of Italian communities in these areas.