MigrantoMigration trends in Italy
Europe
6.6M people from around the world have made Italy their home. That's 11.1% of the country population, arriving from 142 different countries
59M
Population
6.6M
Immigrants
2.9M
Emigrants
+3.6M
Inflow
Every 9th person in Italy was born abroad
The #12 largest immigrant destination worldwide
Top corridors
The largest migration routes in Italy
Key moments
How migration has changed since 1990
1990
1.5M immigrants · 3.4M emigrants
1995
- Slipped out of the world's 10 largest diasporas
2005
- Romania overtook Switzerland as the largest source of new arrivals
- The country became a destination — more people arriving than leaving
- A surge of arrivals — the foreign-born population jumped 54%
- Roughly 1 in 20 residents was now foreign-born
2010
- Surge of immigrants from Romania — 388.2K new arrivals
- Net migration doubled — the annual surplus reached 2M
2015
- The foreign-born population passed 5M residents
2020
- Germany replaced USA as the main destination for those leaving
- Roughly 1 in 10 residents was now foreign-born
Today
- Since 1990: 5M more foreign-born residents and 412.9K fewer citizens living abroad
Data source: International Migrant Stock 2024 (UN DESA, Population Division)
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