It is an Italian problem, but above all a Sardinian one: people are no longer having children . Last year we hit rock bottom. The fertility rate – that is, the number of children per woman – has slipped to 0.91 on the Island , as has the national figure, stuck at 1.20 and now close to the historic low (1.19) recorded in 1995.

Without a change of direction, Sardinia will drop below one million inhabitants in 2061 , which will become 739 thousand in 2080. In practice we are destined to disappear, but not before becoming increasingly older : in 2050 the over 65s will represent over 40% of the population and young people will be on the road to extinction like pandas.

"Sardinia continues to be the region with the lowest fertility . Stably placed below the level of one child per woman for the fourth consecutive year , in 2023 it will be positioned at 0.91 children (0.95 in 2022)," writes Istat in the latest dossier on demographic indicators.

In ten years the Island has lost 100 thousand inhabitants , pushing it below the threshold of one million and 600 thousand residents to which we were now accustomed. As if from 2014 to today two cities like Olbia and Alghero had disappeared.

"It is not a new phenomenon: in the last decade the regional fertility rate has been the worst in Italy, with some areas suffering more than others, such as Oristano", observes Demography expert Luisa Salaris, who cites among the causes not only precarious employment and the lack of economic stability among young people , but also speaks of infertility and the changed needs of women , who are increasingly seeking greater professional affirmation.

And then there is the issue of depopulation : in Semestene and Sennariolo almost two out of three homes are deserted. In Giave, Bidonì and Ussassai the occupancy of buildings does not reach 40%.