The old town of Venice is dying. The population of the historic center has dropped below 50,000 for the first time, the city administration announced on Thursday. On Wednesday, the number of inhabitants in the center of the famous lagoon city was 49,997.
The depopulation of central Venice has been a hotly debated topic for years. Twenty years ago, Venice had a population of 64,000. Ten years ago, in 2012, it had dropped to 58,200.
Ancient city
Residents are leaving the center in droves. In one generation, the population has shrunk by almost a third. On the other hand, the number of tourists has almost quadrupled in the last 25 years. Nearly half of those still living in Venice are over 60, with only about 9,000 under the age of 18. The death rate is about three times the birth rate.