VENETO - Population
Immigrants slowing down the decline in population
Veneto has one of the highest population densities amongst the Italian regions (246 inhabitants per km2 in 2001). This is particularly true in the provinces of Padua, Venice and Treviso, where the inhabitants per km2 are above 300. Belluno is the less densely populated province, with 57 inhabitants per km2.
Like the other regions of northern and central Italy, though with a certain time lag, Veneto has been experiencing a phase of very slow population growth caused by the dramatic fall in fertility. The overall population has so far been increasing ? though only slightly ? due to the net immigration started at the end of the 1960s, after more than 20 years of massive exodus from the poorer areas of the region.
The birth rate, which was below the national average in the past years, has decreased less than in other parts of Italy, and is now slightly above the national average. In 2001, it was equal to 9.3 per thousand.
The death rate in the region has slightly fallen since 1980, measuring 9 per thousand in 2001.
The above figures show a natural population growth just above zero. In 2001, in fact, 42 200 live births were registered in the region, against 41 000 deaths. The population in Veneto has increased by 3.3% between 1990 and 2001.
The population structure of Veneto is in line with the national average as far as the older generations are concerned. In 2001, 17% of the total population was aged 65 years and over, while the younger generations were slightly below the national average (in 2001, the age group below 25 was 23.8% of the whole population, compared to a national figure of 25.8%).
Immigration is very significant: Veneto is the second Italian region after Lombardia for number of immigrants from abroad, and, due to the constant need for manpower, their number is destined to grow.
The level of immigration in the region has been well above the level of emigration throughout the 1990s. Between 1990 and 2002, net migration reached just over 264 200 persons. In 2001, 141 160 foreign residents were registered in Veneto.
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