Italian birth rate tumbles

(ANSA) Rome, November 27 - Registered births in Italy again fell in 2013, while the number of births to Italian parents fell more sharply and births to married parents tumbled to an all-time low, national statistics institute Istat said Thursday.
    "The data confirm that a new phase in the birth rate is under way," Istat said.
    The births of just 514,308 infants were registered in 2013, nearly 20,000 less than in 2012 and more than 62,000 less than in 2008, Istat added.
    The number of births to couples where both parents were Italian fell by some 70,000 with respect to 2008, while births where parents were married fell for the first time to under 400,000, with 380,863 such births registered, some 83,000 fewer than in 2008, Istat said.