The survey on births (ISTAT D1/D2) was carried out by ISTAT at the Population Registers from 1926 to 1998. It collected information on births of present population in Italy.

The survey was based on individual forms divided in 3 sections:
•  a section with administrative information;
•  a section concerning socio-sanitary information (relative to the delivery and the newborn);
•  a section regarding socio-demographic information (education, working conditions of parents, etc.).

The end of the survey was caused by the law 127/97 on "administrative simplification", put in force since May 17 th 1997. Up to this date, births had to be declared at the Registers of the commune where the event took place. The law 127/97 allowed to declare live births also at the Registers of the Commune of parent's residence or at the hospital.

The immediate application of the law, in the middle of 1997, leaded to an inadequate situation for the data collection on births, since the survey was extended to the all 8100 Italian communes. As a consequence, in 1997 a lack of data occurred in the period June-December (496.829 births were counted for this year, versus 528.123 relative to 1996); an analogous phenomenon happened in 1998 (only 479.463 live births).

Thus, an estimate of the amount of live births by region was necessary. The availability of monthly data on births since 1969 allowed to produce good estimates using the historical series technique and the Tramo software. Weights were created in order to release the underestimated datasets.

Since January 1999, a new survey on resident births has been put in force by ISTAT at the Population Registers . It collects information on live births of resident population in Italy and it enables to calculate the main fertility indicators, as Total Fertility Rate and mean age at childbearing, at a very detailed territorial level.

Moreover, a Birth Sample Survey was carried out in 2002 and 2005. Mothers were interviewed 18-21 months after childbirth, collecting information on the newborn, the parents' and the socio-economic context: mothers' working conditions before and after childbearing, the household composition, the formal and informal childcare networks and the division of household chores.

Up to 1996, data were published on the volumes "Nascite: caratteristiche demografiche e sociali", Annuari. Data referred to 1997 and 1998 are available just on line.

STATISTICAL TABLES - 1998

		Table 1.1	Regional indicators - 1998
		Table 1.2	Births by vital status, sex and marital status from 1994 to 1998
		Table 1.3	Births by vital status and birth month from 1994 to 1998
		Table 1.4	Births by vital status and plurality from 1994 to 1998
		Table 1.5	Mother's mean age at childbearing by birth order from 1994 to 1998
		Table 1.6	Male births per 1.000 female births by vital status, filiation and plurality from 1994 to 1998
		Table 1.7	Childbirths by filiation and age of mother from 1994 to 1998
		Table 2.1	Childbirths and births by birth order, sex, plurality, filiation and age class of mother TOTAL 1998
		Table 2.1	Childbirths and births by birth order, sex, plurality, filiation and age class of mother IN MARRIAGE 1998
		Table 2.1	Childbirths and births by birth order, sex, plurality, filiation and age class of mother MULTIPLE 1998
		Table 2.2	Births by sex, vital status, plurality and birthweight class 1998
		Table 2.3	Births by sex, vital status, birth order and gestational age 1998
		Table 2.4	Births by vital status, sex, age class and mode of delivery 1998
		Table 2.5	Births by sex, vital status and birth month 1998
		Table 2.6	In marriage live births by age class of mother, sex and father's age 1998
		Table 2.7	Live births by birth order, region and birth month 1998
		Table 2.8	Outside marriage live births by parents' acknowledgement, sex and region 1998
		Table 2.9	Births by sex, vital status, region and place of birth 1998

STATISTICAL TABLES - 1997

		Table 1.1	Regional indicators - 1997
		Table 1.2	Births by vital status, sex and marital status from 1993 to 1997
		Table 1.3	Births by vital status and birth month from 1993 to 1997
		Table 1.4	Births by vital status and plurality from 1993 to 1997
		Table 1.5	Mother's mean age at childbearing by birth order from 1993 to 1997
		Table 1.6	Male births per 1.000 female births by vital status, filiation and plurality from 1993 to 1997
		Table 1.7	Childbirths by filiation and age of mother from 1993 to 1997
		Table 2.1	Childbirths and births by birth order, sex, plurality, filiation and age class of mother TOTAL 1997
		Table 2.1	Childbirths and births by birth order, sex, plurality, filiation and age class of mother IN MARRIAGE 1997
		Table 2.1	Childbirths and births by birth order, sex, plurality, filiation and age class of mother MULTIPLE 1997
		Table 2.2	Births by sex, vital status, plurality and birthweight class 1997
		Table 2.3	Births by sex, vital status, birth order and gestational age 1997
		Table 2.4	Births by vital status, sex, age class and mode of delivery 1997
		Table 2.5	Births by sex, vital status and birth month 1997
		Table 2.6	In marriage live births by age class of mother, sex and father's age 1997
		Table 2.7	Live births by birth order, region and birth month 1997
		Table 2.8	Outside marriage live births by parents' acknowledgement, sex and region 1997
		Table 2.9	Births by sex, vital status, region and place of birth 1997