Foreign births in Italy up 282% in past 10 years

(ANSA) - Rome, July 30 - Between the years 2001 and 2011 there were 608,623 foreign births in Italy, representing an increase of 282.6% for that ten-year span, national statistics bureau Istat said Wednesday. More than half of these births came from citizens of just four countries: Morocco, with 15.2% of the total, followed by Romania, Albania, and China. Families reporting at least one foreign member increased by 164% in the same ten-year period, comprising a total of 1,160,101 households.
    "The significant influx of foreigners in the past ten years translates into families putting down stronger roots in Italy with the arrival of relatives," Istat said.
    In the same ten-year period, Italy granted citizenship to 607,000 people. Two thirds were female, 47.8% were from other European countries, and 23.7% were from Central and South America.