The province of Savona is faced with the evident decline in births and the scale that inevitably tips towards deaths, a reflection of the well-known seniority of the population. The ISTAT data photographing the year 2023 speak clearly: in this scenario, some centers emerge for their “resilience”, while others signal an already serious demographic contraction.
In small towns like Erli, Garlenda and Massimino, a faint pulse of life can be observed, with a balance between births and deaths that is close to parity. Small towns, with few inhabitants, maintain a delicate balance, embodying the challenges and hopes of small communities struggling to preserve their identity over time.
The city of Savona experiences a critical situation, with a marked gap between 314 births and a number of 826 deaths in 2023. It is not an isolated case: Albenga, Varazze, Finale Ligure, Loano, Alassio and Pietra Ligure show similar trajectories of decrease, with a demographic balance strongly inclined towards decline.
The reality of Savona, therefore, unfolds in a narrative of contrasts where the vigor of the new generations struggles to counteract the advance of mortality.
Small communities resist with a tendency towards low or no natural balance. Erli: balance between births and deaths, with both numbers at 3. Garlenda: slight decline with 8 births and 9 deaths. Massimino: a marginal decline, with no births and 1 death. Nasino: no births and 2 deaths. Castelvecchio di Rocca Barbena: no births and 2 deaths. Rialto: 5 births against 8 deaths. Giusvalla: 2 births compared to 5 deaths.
The capital municipality marks a disappointing “performance”: Savona sees a notable decline with 314 births and 826 deaths, highlighting a significant decrease in the population. Albenga: 121 births compared to 327 deaths. Varazze: 63 births against 216 deaths. Finale Ligure: 45 births and 171 deaths. Loano: 63 births and 182 deaths. Alassio: 34 births compared to 142 deaths. Pietra Ligure: 36 births and 140 deaths.
From a national perspective, the decline is considerable. According to provisional ISTAT data for 2023, there are 379 thousand resident births in Italy, with a birth rate of 6.4 per thousand (it was 6.7 per thousand in 2022). The decrease in births compared to 2022 is 14 thousand units (-3.6%). Since 2008, the last year in which there was an increase in births in Italy, the decline has been 197 thousand units (-34.2%).
