ROME – The number of Italians emigrating abroad has boomed, according to the ‘Italians across the world 2016’ report presented in Rome on Thursday, as 2015 saw an increase of 6.2 percent moving overseas since the year previous.

 In 2015, 107, 529 Italian compatriots emigrated abroad. Of this number, 69.2 percent packed their suitcases for another European country. Compared to the previous year, according to the Office of Vital Statistics of Italian residents broad (Aire), there have been 6, 232 more people leaving to live oversees, which is an increase of approximately 6.2 percent.

 The number consists of mostly young people, between the ages of 18 and 34. The preferred destination is Germany, whilst Veneto and Lombardy are the principal regions where most Italians emigrate from. The Migration Foundation presented their findings, part of the ‘Italians across the world 2016’ report, on Thursday in Rome.

 However, the statistics show a decrease in journeys to South America (down 14.9 percent in a year), whilst the numbers remain stable for trips to Northern-Central America. There were more than 60, 000 male expatriates (56.1 percent), and 60.2 percent of Italians leaving for a new life abroad were single. The most represented age category was 18-34 years, at 36.7 percent.

 The younger generation benefits from an “ongoing process” of mobility, the report claims, as “they can constantly transform and change themselves because they don’t base their choices on a concrete migration project which they have already decided, but instead they continue to always find new opportunities.”

 An increase in emigration has been registered throughout all age categories since 2014. The total number in 2015 was made up of 25.8 percent 35-49 year olds and 20.7 percent minors, whilst 6.2 percent were over the age of 65 (within this percentage 637 were over 85 and 1, 999 were between 75-84 years old).

 The report stated that, “whilst the origin of flows in the south of Italy remains unquestionably prominent, we are gradually seeing a lowering of percentages in the South in favour of the north of the country.”

 Lombardy is shown to be the region with the highest level of emigration, with 20, 088 exits, followed by Veneto at 10, 374. Sicily is in third position (9, 823), despite being the region in second place in 2014. Fourth comes Lazio (8, 436), then Piedmont (8, 199) and Emilia-Romagna (7, 644). Germany was the overall favoured destination, as 16, 568 Italians travelled there, closely followed by Great Britain (16, 503), Switzerland (11, 441) and France (10, 728).

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