In Italy, the decision to have a child is increasingly being put off: in 2023, Italian women were the oldest mothers in Europe, with an average age of 31.8 years at the birth of their first child. This figure is two years greater than the average age of the European Union (29.8 years). Within the continent, there are significant geographical differences: in Southern European countries, such as Italy and Spain, the 31-year threshold has been exceeded for several years (the former since 2016, the latter since 2018), whereas in Eastern Europe, such as Bulgaria and Romania, motherhood occurs much earlier, at an average age of 27. France and Germany are in the middle, with an average age of approximately 29.5 years, reflecting a societal paradigm in which family support exists, at least in part, to anticipate young couples' life ambitions. A number of socioeconomic factors contribute to Italy's top position. Delaying motherhood is frequently a forced decision, resulting from late entry into the labor and fragile employment contracts that prevent young people from reaching the requisite economic independence before the age of thirty. This phenomena has a direct impact on the structure of society. Starting parenthood after the age of 31 significantly limits the biological window for the birth of a second or third child, contributing to what demographers refer to as a "demographic trap". It's not a surprise that Italy has one of the world's lowest birth rates.