Italy population
Italy: 58.9 million people in 2025 (58,915,656), 25th of 217 countries and areas — and 51.2 million projected for 2050.
Compare Italy with another country
Where it stands
In 2025 Italy has 58,915,656 people, which is 0.72% of the 8.19 billion counted across the 217 countries and areas on this site. That puts it 25th by population, behind South Africa and ahead of Kenya.
Since 1960
In 1960 the figure was 50,199,700. Since then the population has grown 1.17×, an average of 0.25% a year upward. It has not yet doubled since then.
The population peaked in 2014 at 60,320,707, and it has fallen 2.3% since. By 2050 the projected total is 51,180,916, 13.1% below the 2025 figure.
The ranking in 2050
In 2050 the projected rank is 40th, down 15 places from 25th. Rankings move when other countries grow faster or slower, not only when Italy changes.
People and land
Italy covers 295,720 km² of land, so 2025 density is 199 people per km² — 67th most crowded of 216 places with an area figure. At that density a square 10 km on a side holds about 19,923 people.
The fertility rate was 1.18 births per woman in 2024, below the roughly 2.1 needed to keep a population steady without migration; life expectancy at birth was 84 years (2024); 11.7% of people were under 15 and 25.1% were 65 or older (2025); 70% of the population lived in cities. These shape the curve above: a young population keeps growing after fertility falls, an old one starts shrinking sooner.
Its nearest neighbours in the ranking are South Africa just above, with 64.7 million (1.1× as many), and Kenya just below, with 57.5 million (1.02× as many as Kenya has).
How the numbers are taken. Total population from the World Bank's population estimates and projections (built from United Nations and national statistics). Values to 2025 are estimates; 2026–2050 are projections that continue current fertility, mortality and migration trends. Sources and limits.