The "Natality Tour”, a government-backed initiative to convince Italians of the importance of having children, starts Tuesday from Bologna. Istat has proposed a quota of 500,000 new births by 2033. "Otherwise we will be here next year to document yet another failure of our country, which, despite having clear problems, fails to face and solve them," said Gigi De Palo, President of the Natality Foundation and promoter of the General States of Birth. Data certify that Italy, with an average of 1.24 children per woman, is the least prolific country in Europe along with Spain, and according to Istat will have a population of 51 million in 2050 (today it has 60). Continuing with this trend, the entire Italian population could become extinct in 2307. Initiatives to encourage the birth rate include many economic incentives for mothers and paid leave from work for both parents.
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