Housing condition of foreigners in Italy

Abstract

The increase in life expectancy and the reduction in the fertility rate are
causing not only the aging of the population in developed countries but are also
changing the demand for housing. The foreign population, thanks to its younger
age and a large proportion of minors, helps to alleviate and slow down the effects
of demographic aging. Being residents and real estate owners in Italy can indicate
family stability and integration, therefore a greater probability of procreating and a
propensity to buy a house. The paper provides an initial analysis of the housing
situation of the foreign population in Italy, based on data from the 2021 permanent
census of population and housing and the Registry of Buildings and Dwellings by
the National Institute of Statistics (Istat). Through this new type of data, not
available in previous censuses, one examines the key characteristics of the foreign
population who own residential properties and focuses on their geographical and
territorial distribution.