Tag Archive for 'Istat'

Italy populations projections: fewer residents, more elderly, smaller families

Latest population projections, updated to 2021, confirm the presence of a potential crisis scenario. A decreasing population: from 59.2 million as of January 1, 2021 to 57.9 million in 2030, to 54.2 million in 2050 and to 47.7 million in 2070.

The ratio between individuals of working age (15-64 years) and not (0-14 and 65 years and over) will go from about 3 to 2 in 2021 to about 1 to 1 in 2050.

The demographic crisis of the territories: a population decline is expected in 4 out of 5 municipalities within 10 years, in 9 out of 10 in rural municipalities.

The number of families is expected to grow but with an ever smaller mean number of members. Fewer couples with children, more couples without: by 2041 only 1 in 4 families made up of a couple with children; more than 1 in 5 will be childless.

By 2050 the over-65s will account for 34.9% of the population.

Young people up to 14 years of age, will account for 11.7% by 2050.

There will be an unbalanced ratio of over65s to teens, to the extent of about three to one.

A partial rebalancing in the population structure may only reveal itself in the long term, as the generations born in the baby boom years tend to die out. Based on the median scenario, the 15-64 year olds could return to 54.3% by 2070 while the over-65s decline back to 34.1%. Stable, however, is the youth population at 11.6/.

How many Italians are reading and who are they?

ISTAT data from 2020 help build a picture of the situation.

  1. Readership has been declining since 2010; in 2020 only 41.4% of the population has read at least one book in the past year.
  2. The female population shows a greater propensity to read as early as age 6: overall 47.1% of women, compared to 33.5%  of men, have read at least one book during the year.
  3. More young people between the ages of 11 and 14 (58.6%) read more than all other age groups.
  4. More women (46.4%) read than men (36.1%).
  5. The audience most fond of reading is girls aged 11 to 24 (more than 60% have read at least one book in the year). The share of female readers falls below the national average after age 60, while for males it is always less than 50 percent except for boys aged 11 to 14 years slightly higher.
  6. Reading is linked to educational level: 72.8% of college graduates read, 49.1% of high school graduates read, and only 26.8% among those with an elementary school diploma.
  7. Territorial gaps persist: fewer than one in three people read in the southern regions (29.2%), while those in the northeast reach the highest percentage (44.3%) and 48.5 in the northwest and 44.3% in the center.
  8. Less than half of the readers (44.6%) say they have read at most three books in the 12 months prior to the interview; these are the so-called “weak readers” among whom are just under half of male readers (48.5%) and people between the ages of 11 and 14 (47.2%). 15.2% count themselves among “strong readers” (with at least 12 books read in the past year). Women’s greater propensity to read is also found in the intensity of reading: 16.7% say they read an average of one book per month compared to 13.3% of men.
  9. In 2016, about one in ten households had no books at all in the home, a figure that has now been constant for almost two decades.
  10. Among those with both parents who are readers, 78.1% of 6-18 year olds read; it stands at 64.5% if it is only the mother who has the reading habit and 63.8% if it is only the father. In contrast, the share of 6-18 year olds reading drops to 36.3% if both parents are not book readers.

Sport and disability: a weak link

A new sports season begins, still in the midst of the restrictions due to the COVID-19. People with disabilities compared to those with typical development will have more problems following sports and motor activity programs.
However, the number of people with disabilities remains very low as it is good to remember by reporting again a year later the report by Istat del 2019 – Conoscere il mondo della disabilità, persone, relazioni e istituzioni

In summary some data, impressive for their negativity:

  • 9.1% of people with severe limitations practice sports activities (continuously or occasionally)
  • In Italy, out of 10 people with severe limitations, 8 declare to be completely inactive, against 34.1% registered with the population without limitations.
  • Gender differences: 13.7% of men, but only 6.0% of women, while 20.7% of disabled people play sports under 65 years of age, compared to 2.7% of the elderly.

Istat report: the Italian and sports

  • 20 milioni gli italiani che praticano attività sportiva.
  • 23 milioni i sedentari, soprattutto anziani.
  • Fra i praticanti, il 24,4% lo fa in modo assiduo e il 9,8% saltuariamente.
  • La mancanza di tempo è la “scusa” più usata da chi non frequenta piscine o palestre, ma ci sono anche motivi di salute o di scarso interesse fra le varie giustificazioni da utilizzare.
  • Il 26,5% delle persone che preferisce fare movimento attraverso lunghe passeggiate a piedi o in bicicletta.
  • Tra gli uomini il 29,5% fa sport con continuità e l’11,7% di tanto in tanto.
  • Per le donne le percentuali sono più basse, rispettivamente 19,6% e 8,1%.
  • La pratica sportiva continuativa cresce nel tempo per entrambi i generi e in tutte le età: dal 15,9% del 1995 al 22,4% nel 2010 fino al 24,5% nel 2015.

Image result for istat sport 2017

  • Lo sport è soprattutto dei ragazzi di 11-14 anni (70,3%, di cui il 61% in modo continuativo e il 9,3% in modo saltuario)
  • I praticanti sono di più nel Nord-est (40,4%), seguono Nord-ovest (39,5%), Centro (35,3%), Sud e Isole (26,2%).
  • Pratica sport il 51,4% dei laureati, il 36,8% dei diplomati, il 21,2% di chi ha un diploma di scuola media inferiore e solo il 7,3% di chi ha conseguito la licenza elementare o non ha titoli di studio.
  • Gli sport: ginnastica, aerobica, fitness e cultura fisica (25,2% degli sportivi, pari a 5 milioni 97 mila persone) sono le discipline più scelte, seguite da calcio (23%, 4 milioni 642 mila persone) e sport acquatici (21,1%, 4 milioni 265 mila persone).
  • I sedentari oltre 23 milioni (39,1% della popolazione), aumentano con l’eta’ fino ad arrivare a quasi la meta’ della popolazione di 65 anni e piu’.

The terrible numbers of the Italian sport: sedentary win!

The numbers of the survey regarding the sport practice in Italy by Coni and Istat, show that the sedentary continue to be too many and that the percentage of people doing sport or physical activity does not show significant improvements in all age groups.

In Italy:

  • 25% population practice sport regularly
  • 9.7% sometimes
  • 30.5% practice some physical activity
  • 39.2% are sedentary
  • 30,5%  population with physical active life style in the Northeast
  • 17.5% a re in the South
  • 52.7% of the population in the South are sedentary
  • 5.7% of leisure time of the population between 3-24 years is dedicated to sport for 2h13m per week
  • from 2000 to 2016 the % of practitioners on an ongoing basis has increased by 7%
  • from 2013 to 2016 is increased of 3%

We certainly cannot be satisfied. These data continue to highlight that Italy is split in two in terms of sport and  during the last 18 years the improvement has been really small (8%). This data highlights the lack of national policies for the development of a physically active lifestyle. Sport and physical activity continue to be regarded as leisure activities and not as primary factors for the development of individual and social wellbeing. On the other hand these data were presented without the major sports organizations have denounced their seriousness and the adverse effect they produce on the health of citizens.

In Italy only the 33% of persons practice sports

Since 10 years the number of persons practicing sports in Italy is not growing and continues to be among the lowest in Europe. It is not just an economic issue due to the crisis, there is no adequate sports and the movement culture

Persons 3 years old and more practicing sports, some physical activities & sedentary persons in Italian Regions ersone sedentarie Year 2015 (percentages)
REGIONI
RIPARTIZIONI GEOGRAFICHE
Praticano
sport
di cui in modo: Praticano
solo qualche
attività fisica
Non praticano
sport né
attività fisica
continuativo saltuario
Piemonte 35,8 24,7 11,2 33,8 30,0
Valle d’Aosta/Vallée d’Aoste 45,0 31,5 13,5 30,0 24,5
Liguria 32,7 24,1 8,6 30,8 36,2
Lombardia 40,7 28,5 12,2 27,2 31,4
Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol 50,9 34,0 16,9 35,4 13,5
Bolzano/Bozen 56,6 36,2 20,4 32,1 10,8
Trento 45,4 31,9 13,5 38,6 16,0
Veneto 40,3 27,9 12,4 32,6 27,0
Friuli-Venezia Giulia 38,5 28,1 10,4 31,6 29,8
Emilia-Romagna 36,0 25,7 10,3 31,7 31,9
Toscana 34,9 25,0 9,9 31,1 33,6
Umbria 31,6 23,0 8,6 28,0 40,0
Marche 35,6 26,5 9,1 27,6 36,4
Lazio 34,8 27,3 7,5 20,6 43,9
Abruzzo 31,7 21,8 9,9 25,7 42,5
Molise 25,4 19,2 6,2 19,0 55,1
Campania 19,5 13,0 6,5 23,1 57,2
Puglia 27,4 19,4 8,0 21,2 51,1
Basilicata 23,9 18,2 5,7 24,0 51,7
Calabria 24,5 17,9 6,6 18,4 56,7
Sicilia 24,4 18,0 6,4 17,5 57,3
Sardegna 34,0 24,6 9,4 29,3 36,3
Nord-ovest 38,6 27,0 11,6 29,4 31,5
Nord-est 39,4 27,7 11,8 32,4 28,0
Centro 34,7 26,2 8,5 25,3 39,5
Centro-Nord 37,7 27,0 10,7 29,0 32,9
Mezzogiorno 24,9 17,7 7,2 21,5 53,2
Italia 33,3 23,8 9,5 26,5 39,9
Source: Istat, Indagine multiscopo sulle famiglie “Aspetti della vita quotidiana”

The disaster of the Italian sedentarity

The sport for all in Italy is now considered to be like the air for the prisoners, toreduce a bit the frustrations that plague us. So at school there are no more than two hours a week and the physical education teacher is the least considered in the class councils. Fortunately, there are parents who are willing to pay to ensure that their children are engaged in a club sport. Not to mention the adult to whom it has never been no policy to introduce them to an active approach to physical activity. It’s an old and repetitive speech that has returned to the fore at the conference organized by the Italian Olympic Committee and Istat on the theme “Sport in Italy – Numbers and Context 2014.”  It  was found that the sedentaries are more than 24 million, or nearly 42 % of Italians. Percentage who is an Everest to the South, 56.2%, while in the North down to 31.7% and Centre to 41%. To understand the dramatic nature of these data, I just remember that in Europe, the countries with higher practitioners, according to the Eurobarometer survey on sport and physical activity, are those of Northern Europe: Sweden, where 70% of people say to do gymnastics or sports at least once a week, they are just over Denmark (68%) and Finland (66%) followed by the Netherlands (58%) and Luxembourg (54%). Negative end of the list, there are Bulgaria, Malta, Portugal, Romania and Italy. Even if the sport as a physically active lifestyle, it’s not part of the Italian political agenda, however, we must move from mere complaint to concrete proposals. I refer to some among those made in the USA from 50 scientific associations, academic and professional skills who sent a letter to Barack Obama to support the urgent need for action in this field to prevent diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular problems and bone and other chronic conditions. The letter takes into account some strategic issues such as:

  • Public education programs to ensure that all Americans understand the benefits of healthy lifestyles and how to take advantage of the range of options open to them;
  • Professional education so that health professionals consider physical activity a vital sign like blood pressure and cholesterol levels, to be monitored and tracked regularly;
  • Electronic Medical Records that include fields for physical activity. As health provider systems convert to EMRs, they can easily begin to track exercise as a vital sign;
  • Medical school curricula that give all physicians an adequate grounding in how to counsel patients on healthy lifestyles, and
  • Increased opportunities for underserved populations to enjoy exercise and physical activity, by addressing disparities in the built environment, access to equipment and other barriers.

Italians: more sedentaries than physical actives

Italiani popolo di santi, poeti e navigatori, ma non di lettori e anche gli sportivi scarseggiano: basti pensare che solo 1 su 3 pratica sport. Secondo >il rapporto “Noi Italia” dell’Istat anche il numero dei sedentari rimane alto, circa il 40%. Che cosa c’è dietro questi dati e come leggerli? Lo abbiamo chiesto ad Antonio Mussino, professore di statistica dell’Università di Roma La Sapienza.

“L’Istat definisce quattro gruppi: chi pratica sport con continuità; chi pratica sport in modo saltuario; chi svolge una qualche forma di attività fisica; chi non fa nessuna di queste attività e, pertanto, può essere definito sedentario. La classificazione che noi proponiamo è più semplice: gli sportivi, ossia coloro che dichiarano di praticare con continuità uno sport; gli attivi, ossia coloro che praticano in modo saltuario e coloro che comunque hanno uno stile di vita attivo perché praticano un’attività fisica; i sedentari, ossia i non attivi”.

“Cominciamo dagli sportivi, per il quali la tendenza è di una leggera crescita, avendo ormai stabilmente, se pur di poco, superato la soglia del 20% (mentre prima del 2002 eravamo sotto); questo risultato, che va in controtendenza rispetto alle varie crisi economiche che si stanno succedendo dall’inizio del nuovo millennio, è spiegabile col fattore culturale, dato che chi ha scelto una pratica sportiva continuativa la considera una componente inderogabile del proprio stile di vita ed è disposto a fare sacrifici per perseguire il suo obiettivo. Il fattore demografico, ovvero il costante invecchiamento della popolazione, se da un lato porta a un calo della percentuale di sportivi, poiché i tassi di partecipazione diminuiscono al crescere dell’età, dall’altro vede una ripresa della pratica continuativa nelle età mature e dopo il pensionamento da parte di generazioni di anziani. Questa categoria ha una ancor buona qualità della vita, molto tempo libero e un approccio culturale favorevole ad uno stile di vita sportivo. Non a caso, a fronte di un calo di sportivi in quasi tutte le fasce d’età dal 2010 al 2011, in quella dai 60 ai 64 anni c’è stato, invece, un incremento di ben un punto percentuale (dal 13,1% al 14,1%)!”.

“Passiamo ai sedentari e agli attivi – conclude Mussino – che sono complementari, data la stazionarietà degli sportivi: l’onda lunga degli anni ’80 con la sempre maggiore diffusione di stili di vita attiva sembra essere entrata in crisi all’inizio del nuovo millennio, probabilmente per le difficoltà economiche legate all’entrata in vigore dell’euro. Da allora il sorpasso dei sedentari sugli attivi si è consolidato, salvo il caso del 2010, che aveva fatto pensare a una inversione di tendenza. Anche in questo caso è, probabilmente, il fattore economico ad aver provocato il controsorpasso, anche perché non si può attribuirne la responsabilità al fattore demografico, visto che i sedentari aumentano tra i giovani e i giovanissimi, in particolare tra i bambini dai 6 ai 10 anni di quasi due punti percentuali (dal 22,4% al 24,3%).
Fonte: UISP Press