Live births registered in the population register
Live births residing in Italy are detected on annual basis through the Survey “Live births registered in the population register” established in 1999.
Until 2018, data were collected through the compilation of Istat Model P4 operated by the Population Register Offices of Italian municipalities (survey units), and then transmitted to Istat.
As of 2020, after a transitional period, the amount of live births residing in Italy is the result of accounting for individual birth registration models in the population register, acquired through notifications sent by Italian municipalities to the ANPR (National Register of the Resident Population) system.
The information contained in the individual data enables municipal-level knowledge of the main phenomena related with live births and fertility of resident population in Italy.
With respect to the live births, the available information enables to classify births (units of analysis) according to certain characteristics of the live birth, such as: sex, name, citizenship, place of birth and residence, and, albeit indirectly, birth order and filiation (born from married or unmarried parents). Parents of the live births can be classified by age and date of birth, citizenship, type of couple (Italian, foreigner, or mixed couple) and marital status.
Live births data are available in the section from 1999 to the most recent year of publication.
Available information on live births are also used for the calculation of main fertility indicators.
Live births registered in the population register
Population register (Anagrafe): the continuous system of registration of the resident population. It is continuously updated through registrations for births from parents resident in the Municipality, cancellations due to death of residents and registrations/cancellations for change of residence from/to another Municipality or from/to abroad.
Citizenship: bond between an individual and a State, required and documented for the exercise of rights and subjection to particular duties.
Resident foreign citizen: person with a foreigner citizenship or statelessness registered in the population register.
Live births from married parents: live births from a married mother and father.
Live births from already married parents: live births from couples in which at least one of the parents was already married with a person different from the other parent.
Live births from parents who were never married: live births from mother and father that were never married.
Live births in mixed couples: live births registered in the population register having one parent with Italian nationality and the other parent with foreign nationality.
Italian live births: live births registered in the population register having parents who are both Italian or in a mixed couple.
Foreigner live births: live births registered in the population register having both parents of foreign citizenship.
Marital state: status of every citizen toward the state with regard to marriage or civil union. Single or unmarried is defined as a male or female citizen respectively who has never entered into a marriage or civil union; married is defined as a married citizen who has not obtained a dissolution or termination of the civil effects of marriage; divorced is defined as a married citizen who has obtained a dissolution or termination of the civil effects of marriage; widowed is the citizen whose marriage has ceased due to the death of the spouse; united civilly is the united citizen who has not obtained the dissolution of the civil union; already united civilly (due to dissolution of the union) is the united citizen who has obtained the dissolution of the civil union; already united/civilly (due to the death of the partner) is the citizen whose union has ceased due to the death of the partner.
Live births registered in the population register
For the years since 1999 to 2001, the territorial detail refers to the territorial division existing in the considered years (103 provinces).
For the years since 2002, the territorial detail refers to the territorial division used in the Reconstruction of population 2002-2019 (107 provinces).
Until 2018, live births were accounted by date of registration in the population register; starting in 2019 the reference is the year of birth.
With respect to the marital status of the parents, parents civilly united are counted as married; parents, already civilly united, who have had their civil union dissolved, are counted as divorced; parents, already civilly united, who have had their union dissolved by the death of their partner, are counted as widowed.