TOSCANA - Population
Clear-cut differences between tourist and non-tourist areas
The population density of Tuscany, with 154.3 inhabitants per km2 in 2001, is below the national average (192 inhabitants per km2). This is due mainly to the low population density of the provinces of Arezzo, Siena and, above all, Grosseto (48 inhabitants per km2 in 2000). The highest density is found in the province of Prato (631 inhabitants per km2 in 2000) followed by the provinces of Pistoia, Livorno, Florence and Lucca, peaking in the cities of Florence (more than 4 000 per km2), Livorno, Prato, Viareggio, Forte dei Marmi and Montecatini Terme (all with a population density of more than 1 000 inhabitants per km2). The territorial distribution of the population is closely linked to the socio-cultural and, more recently, economic and industrial development of Tuscany.
Accordingly, the least densely populated areas are those where the main activity is agriculture, unlike the others where, despite the presence of a number of large industrial complexes, the main activities are connected with tourism and associated services, alongside a plethora of small firms in the leather, glass, paper and clothing sectors.
An ageing population
The changes in Tuscany's resident population between 1951 and 1990 followed the same pattern as in the country as a whole. Alongside a drop in the birth and mortality rates, there was a substantial migratory surplus since Tuscany was not affected by emigration to the same extent as the rest of the country. Over this period, the distribution of the population of Tuscany by age group showed a lower than average proportion of young people (under 25 years of age) and a higher than average proportion of elderly people (over 65 years of age), thereby clearly confirming the nationwide trend towards an ageing population.
The birth rate in Tuscany has very slightly increased during the 1990s, reaching 8 per thousand in 2001, but remains below the national average, equal to 9.2 per thousand in the same year.
The death rate has remained more or less unchanged between 1990 and 2001, when it was equal to 11.3 per thousand, which is higher than the national average (9.5 per thousand).
The birth rate is thus well below the death rate, and this leads to a negative natural balance of the population. In 2001, 28 400 live births were registered in the region, and 40 200 deaths.
This reflects the ageing population, with a relatively low share of young age groups and high share of older age groups. In 2001, in fact, the share of population below 25 years of age was only 21.2% of the population, against a national figure of 25.8%, whereas the share of population above 65 years of age was 22.1%, against a national figure of 18.2%.
The level of immigration in Tuscany has been well above that of emigration in the 1990s, and the value of net migration has increased throughout the decade. In 2001, 113 thousand foreign residents were registered in the region.
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