According to Istat data, there are over 6.6 million Italians living abroad: more than the inhabitants of the whole of Lazio. The number of expatriations (ISTAT data, which as of 31 December 2025 counted 6 million and 604 thousand) is continuously growing, even if the pace is slowing down. Nearly 9 in 10 live in Europe or Central and South America. The most popular destinations for those leaving Italy in 2025 were Spain and Germany.
Let’s see which age groups are most affected by this “migration”, from which Italian region the most expatriations take place and why so many Italians leave the Bel Paese.
Over 6.6 million Italians live abroad
As of 31 December 2025, there were 6 million and 604 thousand Italians habitually resident abroad: of these, only a minority (30%) were born in Italy.
In fact, the population also includes generations of descendants of emigrants: the registry of Italians residing abroad (AIRE) counts as Italian citizens residing abroad not only people born in Italy but currently resident in a foreign country, but also people of foreign origin who have acquired Italian citizenship but live permanently outside the Bel Paese and those born abroad to parents with Italian citizenship. Citizenship can in fact be transmitted by jure sanguinisthat is, by descent from Italian citizens, according to the conditions established by law.
The annual growth was just under 3%, slowing down compared to the +5% recorded in 2024. The change was mainly affected by the decline in births: in 2025, just over 16 thousand children with Italian citizenship were born abroad, 37% less than the previous year. However, part of this decrease is linked to “technical” and not demographic issues: the new legislation on citizenship which came into force in 2025 has made the conditions for the transmission of Italian citizenship by descent to children born abroad more stringent.
In 2025, more Italians left Italy than returned: compared to around 109 thousand expatriations, there were around 56 thousand repatriations. However, compared to 2024, expatriations decreased by 23%, while repatriations decreased by 3%. This sharp decline in expatriations, however, must be interpreted in light of the exceptionally high data recorded in 2024, also in relation to the introduction of the more stringent rules regarding AIRE registrations.
The ages and regions most affected by expatriation
52% of the departures that occurred in 2025 were from Northern Italy, 17% from the Center and the remaining 31% in the South. The region from which the most people have left is Lombardy, with around 22 thousand expatriations: almost a fifth of the total.
Over a third of expatriations occur between the ages of 25 and 34 (36%), while 13% occur between the ages of 18-24. However, the choice to move abroad after retirement is also becoming increasingly common, often to benefit from a lower cost of living and better tax treatment. Currently, there are approximately 347 thousand Italian pensioners residing abroad, of which 72% were born in Italy.
Countries with more Italian residents
Almost 9 out of 10 Italians living abroad live in Europe or Central and South America. In particular:
- Europe: 53%
- Central and South America: 34%
- North America: 7.5%
- Oceania: 3%
- Asia: 1%
- Africa: 1%
This current distribution is the result of migrations that occurred in different historical periods. For example, in Latin America, the Italian presence is linked above all to the great migratory waves of the past and to subsequent generations of descendants.
Europe remains by far the main destination for the most recent expatriations (75.5% in 2025). The main destinations are:
- Spain: around 13 thousand expatriates
- Germany: around 13 thousand
- Switzerland: around 12 thousand
- United Kingdom: around 11 thousand
- France: around 9 thousand
Alone, these five destinations welcomed over half of Italian expatriates in 2025 (53%). Outside of Europe, the United States stands out, destination for 6% of expatriations, and Brazil (3%).
However, the mobility of Italians does not stop at the first move: a part of Italians subsequently change their foreign country of residence. From Argentina and Venezuela, for example, many subsequent transfers have Spain as their destination. For Italians coming from Brazil, the next destination is Portugal. Even within Europe, movements between countries are observed: from Germany and France people move more frequently towards Switzerland, while from the United Kingdom and the Netherlands they mainly focus on Spain.
The European destinations with a more significant presence of Italian pensioners are Spain, with around 13 thousand people, and Portugal, with around 4 thousand. Outside Europe, Tunisia stands out, with around 3 thousand resident Italian pensioners. There are also significant numbers of Italian pensioners in Croatia (around 3 thousand), and Romania (around 2,500). In these two countries, however, approximately one in three Italian pensioners was born in the country of residence: they are therefore also Italian citizens by acquisition who, upon reaching retirement, returned to their country of origin.
From which countries do Italians return?
Even for repatriations to Italy, Europe has a central role. Over a third of the approximately 56 thousand returns in 2025 come from Germany, the United Kingdom and Switzerland. Followed by the United States, France and Brazil.
These data therefore show a mobility that is not necessarily one-way: many Italians move abroad, but some subsequently return to Italy.
Even for repatriations, Northern Italy represents the main destination area: in 2025, 48% of returns arrived there, compared to 20% directed towards the Center and 32% towards the South. Lombardy is once again in first place, with 18% of repatriations, followed by Sicily (10%), Lazio (9%) and Piedmont (8%).
