The average age in Sicily is growing: from 39.9 years in 2003 it has gone from 45.2 years in 2023. In parallel with the aging of the population, the need for health and welfare services is increasing in this region which, on the other hand, remains in bottom of the Italian rankings for pensions which, on average, are around one thousand euros per month.
This disparity obviously affects not only the quality of life but also the life expectancy itself which, according to Eurostat statistics, in Sicily is over 3 years less than the national average. On the island, therefore, one does not age well, with consequences that affect thousands of people and entire families.
The meeting
This will be discussed in the conference on “Active ageing. We need a law in Sicily too”, organized by Spi Cgil Sicily, Fnp Cisl Sicily, Uilp Sicily with Cgil, Cisl and Uil Sicily and the associations Ada, Anteas and Auser, which will be held on May 10th at the Nuove Officine Zisa in Palermo, starting from 9.30 am. Presiding will be: Rosaria Aquilone, general secretary of the Fnp Cisl Sicilia, Francesco Quartararo, regional president of Ada and Alfio Giulio, regional president of Anteas.
The Auser regional president, Giorgio Scirpa, will introduce the proceedings. Speakers will include: Luisella Lionti, general secretary of Uil Sicily, Francesco Lucchesi, regional secretary of Cgil Sicily, Sebastiano Cappuccio, general secretary of Cisl Sicily, Concetta Balistreri, general secretary of Spi Cgil Sicily, Claudio Barone, general secretary of Uilp Sicily and Leonardo Spera, vice-president of Anci Sicily. The interventions of the regional councilors Giovanna Volo and Nuccia Albano are also expected. The national secretary of the Fnp Cisl, Annamaria Foresi, will close the proceedings.
The statistics, Syracuse is the oldest
Just a month ago we learned from statistics that the problem of population aging is widespread. The latest study concerns the population of Syracuse which, if 30 years ago had around 126 thousand inhabitants, now has just over 116 thousand. These are the data released by Istat but “if the current trend is not reversed, in less than twenty years the Aretusea city risks falling below 100 thousand residents” says Salvo Sorbello, provincial president of the Forum of family associations.
Population data
“It is desirable – warns Sorbello – that we realize the gravity of the situation: thirty years ago Syracuse had 126,212 residents, there were still 122,299 only ten years ago and now the total population is 116,051 people (59,119 females and 56,932 males) and therefore more than ten thousand residents were “lost” (more than six thousand if we consider only the last ten)”.
Collapse in births
Last year there were only 708 newborns (370 males and 338 females), while the deaths in 2023 were 1314 (with a negative natural balance of 606 people). According to projections, in the medium term in Syracuse there will be around 3,600 children under 4 years of age and 11,000 over-80s.
