This Italian village welcomes its first baby in 30 years

In the quaint village of Pagliara dei Marsi, nestled in Italy's Abruzzo region, cats outnumber people. As humans dwindle, cats have claimed the village as their own, lading streets and homes with their gentle purrs and curious presence. The silence was finally shattered in March, when the village celebrated a rare occurrence - the birth of a child.

Baby Lara Bussi Trabucco is the first child to be born in the village in almost 30 years, and her arrival has sparked a glimmer of hope in Pagliara dei Marsi. Born after 30 years, she is the village's newest resident, bringing the population to 20. Her christening in the church opposite her home was a huge event and was attended by the entire community, The Guardian reported.

Lara's parents, Cinzia Trabucco and Paolo Bussi, received a €1,000 ‘baby bonus’ after her birth, a one-time payment for each child born or adopted. The couple also receive a child benefit payment of about €370 a month.

“People who didn’t even know Pagliara dei Marsi existed have come, only because they had heard about Lara. At just nine months old, she’s famous,” said her mother, Cinzia.

Lara's arrival represents hope, but it also serves as a sombre reminder of Italy's mounting demographic crisis.

In 2025, births plummeted to a record low of 3,69,944 in the country. The fertility rate also dipped to a historic low, with an average of 1.18 children born to women of childbearing age in 2024, ranking among the lowest in the EU.

Job insecurity, the huge wave of youth emigration, lack of support for working moms, and rising male infertility are some of the factors driving this trend. Plus, more people are opting out of parenthood altogether.

Pagliara dei Marsi is a small village, but it is emblematic of a landscape dominated by ageing populations and empty schools, putting a strain on public funds and presenting serious economic and social issues for local, regional, and national officials alike.

“Pagliara dei Marsi has been suffering from drastic depopulation, exacerbated by the loss of many elderly people, without any generational turnover,” according to Giuseppina Perozzi, the local mayor.

Juggling work and childcare is a huge challenge here. Italy's childcare system is lacking, and Meloni's government hasn't delivered on its promise to increase nurseries. Pregnant women often have to leave their jobs and later struggle to re-enter.

Lara's parents also worry about her future schooling. Pagliara dei Marsi last had a teacher some decades ago. There is an infant and primary school in neighbouring Castellafiume, but considering the number of school closures around Italy due to declining birthrates, it is unclear whether there will be enough children to sustain the facility in the long run.

According to Trabucco, financial incentives are not enough to stymie the trend. “The entire system needs to be revolutionised. We’re a country of high taxes but this does not translate into a good quality of life or good social services," she said.

AsItaly

grapples with its demographic winter, experts urge policymakers to address the root causes of the decline, including preserving fertility and providing support for families.

Ornella La Civita, a city councillor, stated that financial incentives to encourage births were welcome, but 'how can you give women money to have babies but not guarantee them a safe and secure place to give birth?”

According to Gianluca Di Luigi, a gynaecologist, “Ideological thinking in Italy has always been a block. But if we want newborns, then we need enlightenment too – yes, provide young people with dignified jobs, but let’s start teaching them about preserving fertility.”