▁Nap les ▁in ▁central ▁and ▁southern ▁Italy , ▁while ▁other ▁vast ▁areas ▁are ▁very ▁sp ars ely ▁populated , ▁like ▁the ▁plate aus ▁of ▁Bas il ic ata , ▁the ▁Al ps ▁and ▁Ap enn ines ▁high lands , ▁and ▁the ▁island ▁of ▁S ardin ia . ▁ ▁The ▁population ▁of ▁the ▁country ▁almost ▁double d ▁during ▁the ▁tw enti eth ▁century , ▁but ▁the ▁pattern ▁of ▁growth ▁was ▁extremely ▁une ven ▁due ▁to ▁large - scale ▁internal ▁migration ▁from ▁the ▁rural ▁South ▁to ▁the ▁industrial ▁cities ▁of ▁the ▁North , ▁a ▁phenomen on ▁which ▁happened ▁as ▁a ▁consequence ▁of ▁the ▁Italian ▁economic ▁mi racle ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 9 5 0 – 1 9 6 0 ' s . ▁In ▁addition , ▁after ▁centuries ▁of ▁net ▁em igration , ▁from ▁the ▁ 1 9 8 0 s ▁Italy ▁has ▁experienced ▁large - scale ▁imm igration ▁for ▁the ▁first ▁time ▁in ▁modern ▁history . ▁According ▁to ▁the ▁Italian ▁government , ▁there ▁were ▁an ▁estimated ▁ 5 , 2 3 4 , 0 0 0 ▁foreign ▁national s ▁resident ▁in ▁Italy ▁on ▁ 1 st ▁of ▁January ▁ 2 0 1 9 . ▁ ▁High ▁fert ility ▁and ▁birth ▁rates ▁pers isted ▁until ▁the ▁ 1 9 7 0 s , ▁after ▁which ▁they ▁started ▁to ▁dram atically ▁decl ine , ▁leading ▁to ▁rapid ▁population ▁ag ing . ▁At ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁first ▁de cade ▁of ▁the ▁ 2 1 st ▁century , ▁one ▁in ▁five ▁It ali ans ▁was ▁over ▁ 6