The Population Report, published by il Mulino and edited by Cecilia Tomassini and Daniele Vignoli, is an indispensable resource for comprehending the transformation of Italian society. The book reveals, among other things, that there were 21 million families in Italy in 2000, compared to 25 million now. Since the number of inhabitants has stayed almost the same, this indicates that families have decreased. Families with four or more members have decreased by half, while families with just one parent now account for 10% of all Italian families. The frequency of weddings has declined dramatically, with 36% of children born to unmarried parents last year. They were 2% back in the 1960s. The "mixed" unions of Italians and foreigners are increasing; families composed of same-sex partners are emerging; there are an increasing number of stable couples who choose to live in two different locations; and separations, divorces, and new unions are becoming more common, even among the elderly. The thesis of the book advocated by the Italian Association for Population Studies is simple but meaningful: even in Italy, as elsewhere, it is time to consider a new social structure based on a different concept of family.
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