Adnkronos (Adnkronos) – In Italy, despite growing public debate on the topic, motherhood still translates into a fragile balance between employment and caregiving, between desire and sacrifice, with careers stalling or slowing down and difficulties re-entering the job market. This is the picture emerging from the 11th edition of the report "The Tightrope Walkers, Motherhood in Italy," released today just days before Mother's Day and developed by the Research Center of Save the Children—the organization that for over 100 years has fought to save at-risk girls and boys and guarantee them a future—which, year after year, reveals a reality that struggles to improve.
The data shows that in Italy only 58,2% of mothers with preschool-age children are employed. And for the first time, the employment situation has worsened across all regions of the country, where the disadvantage associated with motherhood is 33%.
In the face of a constant decrease in births (in 2025 there will be approximately 355 thousand, a decrease of -3,9% in one year) and a fertility rate of 1,14 children per woman, well below the replacement threshold and the EU average (1,34 in 2024), the average age at childbirth reaches 32,7 years and mothers under 30 are a small minority.
Nearly one in four women between the ages of 25 and 34 reports not having adequate working conditions for having a child. In Italy, the penalty associated with motherhood is 33%, with significant and persistent effects over time. Looking specifically at wages, in the private sector, mothers experience a penalty of up to 30% after the birth of a child, while in the public sector the penalty is more modest (5%), but still significant.
Regarding labor market participation, the data shows that while men with children are more present in the labor market than men without children, for women, having children is associated with lower employment rates. While 78,1% of childless men between the ages of 25 and 54 are employed, the percentage stands at 92,8% among fathers with at least one minor child (92,9% for those with one child and 92,7% for those with two or more). For women in the same age group, the situation is very different: 68,7% of childless women are employed, but the percentage drops to 63,2% among mothers with at least one minor child (67% for those with one child and 58,8% for those with two or more). The employment rate drops further for mothers with at least one preschool-age child (58,2%). Compared to previous years, despite an increase in employment, including among women, it is women, and especially mothers, who are benefiting least from the positive trend: among women aged 25-54 with at least one minor child, employment in 2025 increased by 0,1% compared to 2024, while the increase was 0,9% for men in the same conditions.
Regional differences are marked: among mothers aged 25-54 with at least one minor child, the employment rate stands at 73,1% in the North and 71% in Central Italy, while in the South and islands it drops to 45,7%. Educational qualifications appear to be a protective factor: among mothers with minor children, the employment rate increases significantly for the most educated, from 37,7% among women with a middle school diploma or less, to 62,8% among high school graduates, and to 85,4% among university graduates.
Part-time work is also a key aspect of motherhood: 32,6% of women aged 25-54 with at least one minor child use it (11,7% of whom work involuntarily part-time), compared to 3,5% of fathers in the same situation. The share of women employed on fixed-term contracts for at least five years is increasing (from 17,4% to 19,1%).
"A reading of the data paints a picture of a country where motherhood remains one of the main drivers of inequality. We live in a system that continues to disproportionately burden women with the costs of parenthood, as the Le Equilibriste report has been denouncing for eleven years. In 2026, we must still note how the situation for mothers in Italy has actually worsened compared to previous years. Despite announced commitments, new mothers are resigning, and among younger mothers, the majority are neither in education nor working, nor are participating in training programs," said Antonella Inverno, Head of Research and Data Analysis at Save the Children Italy.
Motherhood before the age of 30 is increasingly rare and remains the exception: in Italy, by 2025, there will be approximately 300 mothers between the ages of 20 and 29, equal to 2,9% of all mothers. Only 6,6% of young people in the same age group are parents. While the number of parents between the ages of 20 and 29 is relatively evenly distributed across the country, with limited differences and only slightly higher rates in the North, a clear gap emerges in labor force participation, especially between men and women.
In Italy, 25% of mothers under 35 in the private sector leave the labor market the year their first child is born, compared to 12% of those over 35. Among 20-29 year-olds, male employment increases with parenthood: 87,2% of fathers work compared to 52,6% of childless men, while the opposite is true for women, with an employment rate of 42% among young childless women and 33,4% among mothers. The gap widens further as the number of children increases: among those with two or more children, 83,7% of fathers are employed compared to just 23,2% of mothers.
The gap is also reflected in inactivity levels: among parents aged 20-29, 59,8% of mothers are inactive (rising to 70% with two or more children), compared to just 6,2% of fathers (declining to 5,8% with two or more children). This group, however, may also include mothers still studying, while among very young mothers, aged 15-29, 60,9% are neither studying nor working, nor are enrolled in any training program (NEET), compared to 11,3% of fathers.
Although 81,8% of young people between 18 and 24 say they want to become parents in the future, this desire struggles to translate into concrete choices in the short term.
Among women in the same age group, 14,8% expect to have a child within three years (11,4% "probably yes" and 3,4% "definitely yes"), a higher percentage than their male peers. Intentions increase in the 25-34 age group, reaching 41,6% among women and 35,7% among men, but they remain indicative of a planning process that only consolidates with advancing age.
Among women under 35, both international and internal migration are on the rise: in 10 years, from 2014 to 2024, the number of expats increased by 125%, representing nearly one in ten young women. Even more worrying, however, is internal mobility: according to an in-depth study by Svimez included in the report, female migration between 25 and 34, like male migration, follows almost exclusively the South-North direction. Also between 2014 and 2024, over 200 under-35s from Southern Italy moved to the Center-North, worsening the demographic decline in the South, where birth rates are projected to drop by 5% in 2025, more than in the rest of the country.
"To truly support parenthood, it is essential to adopt structural policies based on integrated interventions: stable employment, accessible and quality childcare services, adequate financial support tools, and independent living arrangements for younger generations. We need to strengthen a coherent and coordinated welfare system across the lifespan, along with a work organization compatible with family responsibilities." This is according to Giorgia D'Errico, Director of Public Affairs and Institutional Relations at Save the Children, emphasizing how "shared care represents a decisive lever for reducing gender inequalities and making motherhood sustainable. In this regard, it is essential to reform the leave system to ensure true equity among parents, introducing equal leave as an individual right. At the same time, the 0-6 education system must be strengthened, ensuring consistent quality services across the country, continuity between nurseries, preschools, and subsequent schooling, and full integration with local services."
This year's report, "Le Equilibriste – La materno in Italia 2026," also features the regional Mothers' Index, developed in collaboration with ISTAT (National Institute of Statistics). This index measures mothers' conditions across seven areas—Demography, Work, Representation, Health, Services, Subjective Satisfaction, and Violence—using 14 indicators from various sources within the national statistical system.
In this edition, the most "mother-friendly" region is Emilia-Romagna (110,115), followed by the Autonomous Province of Bolzano (106,334) and Valle d'Aosta (105,718), which returns to the podium after the sharp decline recorded in the previous edition. Signs of improvement are observed in Piedmont, which rises from 12th to 8th place (103,473), and in Calabria, which gains two positions, going from 18th to 16th place (94,197).
On the contrary, the survey observes that declines are recorded in the North-East: Friuli-Venezia Giulia falls from 8th to 13th place (100,801) and Veneto from 9th to 12th (100,978), highlighting a relative weakening in the national comparison. Molise also loses ground, slipping from 15th to 17th place (94,177), and Lazio, which goes from 6th to 9th place (103,469). In the South, the picture remains generally stable and at levels below the national average (101,460): Abruzzo, with a value of 99,259, confirms its position as the best-placed region among the Southern ones (14th place), while at the bottom of the ranking are Basilicata (92,276), Puglia (92,226) and Sicily (91,930). Overall, the Italian situation shows a slight worsening compared to the last two years: the national index fell to 101,460, down from 102,635 in 2024 and 102,002 in 2023. This decline is mainly attributable to the worsening demographic, employment, and health conditions.
The Demographics dimension of the Mothers' Index also shows a deterioration: in 2025, Italy will stand at 94,857 points, down more than 5 points compared to 2022 and 2023 and 3,4 points compared to the previous year. This figure reflects the continuing decline in fertility, with the average number of children per woman remaining at low levels across the country. In this context, the Autonomous Province of Bolzano remains in first place (130,0), followed by other regions with values above the national average, including the Autonomous Province of Trento (104,286), Sicily (102,571) and Campania (101,714). Only a few regions show signs of growth: in 2025, the average number of children per woman will increase only in the Autonomous Province of Bolzano and Valle d'Aosta (93,143), while in the Marche it will remain stable (92,286).
The Work dimension of the Mothers' Index shows a marked deterioration in all regions: in 2025, Italy's score will fall to 88,3 points, a decrease of over 11 points compared to 2022 and almost 10 points compared to the previous year. The main factors are the increase in job insecurity, with the share of women employed in fixed-term jobs for at least five years rising from 17,4% to 19,1%, and the increase in resignations among mothers of young children, from 4,8 to 6,8 per 1.000 employed women. Only involuntary part-time work has improved, decreasing slightly, but this is not enough to offset the overall decline. Therefore, significant declines have been recorded in several regions.
This is the case of the Aosta Valley, which lost 10 positions compared to the previous year (from 9th to 19th place; 75,975), and Piedmont, which dropped from 2nd to 10th place (87,393). At the top of the labor rankings is the Marche region, in 1st place (99,768), followed by Tuscany (97,258) and Molise (94,938), while at the bottom is the Aosta Valley, in 19th place (75,975), followed by Friuli-Venezia Giulia (73,407) and the Autonomous Province of Bolzano (38,639). Unlike the declines, the improvements recorded in some regions are more limited and do not compensate for the losses. This widespread decline confirms how, from North to South, it is becoming increasingly difficult for mothers to remain in the labor market.
The size of Representation shows an overall improvement: in 2025, Italy will reach a value of 108,108, signaling growing female participation in local political life. However, this progress remains uneven. Umbria (145,586) leads the ranking, in first place, also recording the most significant increase in recent years, followed by Piedmont and Lazio (both 134,054) in second place, the Autonomous Province of Trento (131,892), and Emilia-Romagna (124,685). Good levels are also recorded in Veneto (123,423) and Lombardy (110,450), while other areas of the country remain at lower values. Basilicata and Molise (both 85,586) are at the bottom of the list. Among the regions with values below average, only Friuli-Venezia Giulia (94,234) in 17th place, is placed outside the South, confirming a greater difficulty for the Southern regions in strengthening the female presence in political bodies.
The health dimension paints a complex and only slightly worsening picture: in 2025, Italy's health system will stand at 101,023, down from 101,739 the previous year, primarily due to the increase in the infant mortality rate, which rose from 2,52 to 2,61 per 1.000 live births. Leading the ranking is the Autonomous Province of Bolzano (131,623), in first place, thanks to a significantly higher number of health centers than the national average, followed by Emilia-Romagna (116,604) in second place, and Valle d'Aosta (111,857) in third place. Among the most interesting performances are some regions in Southern Italy that rank above the national average, such as Sardinia (110,240) in 4th place, Basilicata (109,079) in 5th place, Abruzzo (103,059) in 10th place, and Puglia (102,625) in 11th place. At the bottom of the ranking are Campania (90,271) in 21st place, the Autonomous Province of Trento (91,912) in 20th place, and Sicily (92,554) in 19th place. This picture highlights less linear territorial dynamics than other dimensions, with some Southern regions performing better and critical issues widespread even in traditionally stronger areas.
The size of services shows an overall improvement: in 2025, Italy will reach an average value of 106,543, with a strengthening of the provision of early childhood, full-time, and school meals. Leading the way are the Autonomous Province of Trento (135,926) in 1st place, Valle d'Aosta (133,223) in 2nd, and the Autonomous Province of Bolzano (129,772) in 3rd, followed by Friuli-Venezia Giulia (125,948), Tuscany (125,346), and Emilia-Romagna (125,028). From a territorial perspective, no region in Central Italy is below the national average, while in Southern Italy only Sardinia (112,193) exceeds it. The situation is more critical in other southern regions, where public provision of early childhood services remains very limited: Campania, Calabria, and Sicily have 6,9%, 5,9%, and 7,9% coverage, respectively, compared to the national average of 18,5%. Among the most significant figures, Friuli-Venezia Giulia reaches 40,5%.
The subjective satisfaction of women shows marked differences between regions, with a gap between first and last place exceeding 47 points. In first place is the Autonomous Province of Bolzano (135,398), followed by Valle d'Aosta (121,520) in second place and the Autonomous Province of Trento (117,420) in third place. Umbria (113,260) in fourth place, Marche (112,758) in fifth place and Piedmont (110,906) in sixth place also rank medium-high. At the bottom are Puglia (88,339) in 21st place, preceded by Campania (88,756) in 20th place and Calabria (88,866) in 19th place.
Finally, the Violence dimension – which measures the presence of anti-violence centers and shelters per 100.000 women – highlights a highly uneven distribution across the country and shows substantial stability over time. Friuli-Venezia Giulia (143,073) once again holds first place, followed by the Autonomous Province of Bolzano (130,076) in second place, and Emilia-Romagna (129,924) in third place. Valle d'Aosta (125,542) in fourth place, Lombardy (122,972) in fifth place, and Abruzzo (121,159) in sixth place also rank high. The Autonomous Province of Trento and Basilicata close the ranking in this domain in last place.
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