Italy: Selected Issues
IMF Staff Country Reports, July 23, 2024
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Bibliographic details
- Published: July 23, 2024
- Series: IMF Staff Country Reports
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.5089/9798400284052.002
Main finding: paradox of low fertility and low female labor force participation
- Italy exhibits a rare combination of low fertility and low female labor force participation.
- The number of births has fallen by a third over the last fifteen years.
- Female labor force participation remains very low.
- This uncommon combination points to the need to improve the compatibility of work and family life.
Within-household time use and social norms
- Within-household allocation of housework tends to be relatively specialized in Italy.
- Burden-sharing is more limited in households with children.
- Social and cultural norms are frequently cited as one of the main reasons for Italy’s large time-use gender gaps.
- With ingrained norms, changing behaviors might be seen as very challenging.
Recent shifts and structural drivers
- Italy’s work-family outcomes have undergone significant shifts within a relatively short time span.
- These shifts are most likely in response to large structural changes in the nature of employment contracts and the macroeconomic environment.
Regional divide and structural impediments
- A large divide exists between Northern and Southern regions:
- Much lower female labor force participation in the South.
- Similar fertility rate across North and South.
- This pattern suggests the presence of structural impediments, such as labor market rigidities and scarcity of childcare facilities.
Source: Italy: Selected Issues, July 23, 2024 (IMF).
Content in this bundle
- Italy: Selected Issues; IMF Country Report No. 24/241; July 3, 2024