Health in Italy

Italy is known for its generally very good health system.  Life expectancy is 80 for males and 85 for females. It is 5th in the world for life expectancy.  Iinfant mortality is low.  Italy has a  lower rate of adult obesity (below 10%) than most Western countries. This is  one of the health benefits of the Mediterranean diet. The number of smokers was 22% in 2012, down from 24.4% in 2000 but a bit above the OECD average. Smoking in public places including bars, restaurants, night clubs and offices is only allowed in specially ventilated rooms since 2005.

As with any developed country, Italy has enough water. The levels of nutrition and sanitation are high. Medical care is free under a universal healthcare system. The principle is that healthcare is a human right and should be accessible to everyone regardless of their ability to pay.

Only 379,000 babies were born in Italy in 2023.  The  average number of children per woman fell to 1.2.  There were more than 4.5 million people over the age of 80.

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