Ukrainians made up the largest group of new arrivals, followed by Albanians, Bangladeshis, Moroccans, Romanians, Egyptians, Pakistanis, Argentines, and Tunisians
Italy saw a dramatic rise in both immigration and emigration in 2023–2024, reaching the highest levels in a decade, according to new data released by the national statistics agency Istat. The figures have renewed concerns over the country’s brain drain, economic stagnation, and growing dependency on foreign labour.
Last year, 382,071 foreigners moved to Italy, up from 378,372 in 2023 and the highest since 2014. The immigration figure beat the previous decade-high of 301,000 in 2017 and far exceeded the pandemic-era low of 191,766 in 2020. Over the two-year period, around 760,000 foreign nationals arrived — a 31 percent increase compared to 2021–2022.
Ukrainians made up the largest group of new arrivals, followed by Albanians, Bangladeshis, Moroccans, Romanians, Egyptians, Pakistanis, Argentines, and Tunisians. The figures are based on registrations at local town halls and likely don’t capture undocumented migration.
While immigration surged, emigration also spiked. In the same period, 155,732 Italians left the country, compared to 114,057 the previous year — again, the highest figure since 2014. In total, nearly 270,000 Italians emigrated during 2023–2024, a 40 percent jump from the previous two years.
“It is more than plausible that a significant number of those leaving were former immigrants who moved abroad after acquiring Italian citizenship,” Istat noted.
The statistics highlight a growing demographic challenge. Italy’s ageing population, low birth rate, and sluggish economic growth — with real wages still below 1990 levels — are pushing more Italians to seek better opportunities abroad. Meanwhile, labour shortages are making the country increasingly reliant on foreign workers.
Italy’s right-wing government, elected in 2022 with a strong anti-migration platform, now finds itself balancing stricter immigration policies with an urgent need to attract workers to fuel its economy.
The data also reveals ongoing regional disparity. Southern regions, especially Calabria — which has the lowest per capita income in the country — continue to depopulate. In 2023–2024 alone, nearly 1 percent of Calabria’s residents moved to central or northern regions, highlighting persistent economic inequality within the country. Together, the trends paint a picture of a nation in transition — grappling with population loss, economic uncertainty, and shifting migration dynamics.
