Part 6/16:
The consequences are stark: in Italy, fewer than 370,000 babies were born in 2024, threatening national demographic extinction. Young Italians like Matteo face economic stagnation, high taxes to support aging populations, and the grim choice of staying and paying or leaving for the U.S., Australia, or Switzerland. This exodus exacerbates the shrinking workforce and the tax base, creating a vicious death spiral where declining population leads to economic decline, prompting more emigration.