Demographics, Research, and Analysis
There is much to be understood about how Italians have adapted to becoming Americans and, in turn, how America has changed thanks to the immigration of Italians. As the John D. Calandra Italian American Institute continues with its Italian Diasporas: Data Snapshot project in demographics, research, and data analysis, the aim is to provide information regarding a variety of characteristics related to the Italian diaspora addressing the issues of assimilation and accommodation.
As life expectancy has increased around the world, the percentage of persons over the age of sixty-five has been steadily increasing. Presently, Japan has the largest percent at 30.2% with Italy a distant second at 24.3%*. The other countries in the top five are all in Europe. In the United States, the percentage of persons over the age of sixty-five is under 19%. The difference between the percentage for the United States overall and Italy makes the data for Americans of Italian heritage versus the United States seem anomalous. What changes when Italians come to the United States? And why is life expectancy shortened by so much given that there is a genetic component to longevity? It is tempting to jump to conclusions such as differences in lifestyle or eating habits, but the answers lie in future research about what sets those countries with the greatest life expectancies apart.
It is anticipated that by 2050 the top five countries with highest life expectancies will all be in Asia, save for one: Italy.
The Institute invites you to share suggestions for future snapshots and reports.
*All data was retrieved from https://www.statista.com and is current for 2024.