Why are young Italians leaving the country in large numbers?  – Firstpost

Italy is in the middle of a major crisis.

A considerable part of its youth is leaving the country, which results in a stressed economy and an ageing population.

According to national data, millions of Italians have left the country in the last decade. Almost a third of the population that has left is between the ages of 25 years to 34 years.

Billie Fusto is one of the many youngsters who feel trapped within the country and looking for job opportunities away from home. Training to be an archivist, he wants nothing more than ‘a quiet life’ at home in Italy.

“I’m not looking for wealth… or big responsibilities,” said the 24-year-old, who comes from Calabria in southern Italy, and is studying for a master’s in Rome.

“I want a quiet life, in which I don’t have to worry about whether I have 15 euros to go shopping,” he told AFP. “And currently, in Italy that’s not guaranteed.”

According to a report by the Italian North East Foundation, for every young foreigner settling in Italy, nearly nine young Italians emigrate making migration a contentious topic.

Economic challenges

Italy is currently facing one of the most dire economic situations. The youth unemployment rate is higher than the European average, at 17.7 per cent in October, compared to 15.2 per cent across the European Union.

Italy is also among the few nations part of the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) countries where real wages have declined since 2019.

Some, particularly from Italy’s poorer south, move to the country’s wealthy northern regions to try their luck. The share of graduates among them has increased from 18 to 58 per cent in the last two decades.

Meanwhile, workplaces in the country are seen as unmeritocratic. There is no national minimum wage, and salaries do not rise in line with the number of years spent in higher education.

Elena Picardi returned to Rome after studying political science in France — but her hopes of finding a job in Italy are fading fast. “More often than not, when it comes to Italian offers, either the salary is not specified or it is generally lower,” the 24-year-old told AFP.

The difference can amount to several hundred euros per month for the same position in other European countries. “I would like to contribute to the future of my country, and stay close to my family,” Picardi said. “But why should I sacrifice my prospects when… my profile is more valued (abroad)?”

Some return to their homeland

The youth leaving their country behind has put pressure on the country as well. The country has lost an estimated €134 billion euros between 2011 and 2023 due to emigration.

While some are staying back in their country to be closer to their family, others have to stay out of necessity. The exodus of youngsters is all the more worrying in view of the ageing Italian population.

The average age for leaving the family home in Italy in 2022 was 30, according to Eurostat — among the oldest in the European Union, with only Spain and Greece. The ratio between people in employment and those not working will increase from the current three to two, to around one to one in 2050, according to the National Institute of Statistics.

With such a drastic change, the government is now taking steps like tax incentives for highly qualified or specialist Italian workers living abroad who return home, with even bigger cuts offered to those who bring children with them.

With inputs from AFP