Pope says only rich can afford to have children in Italy

FILE PHOTO: Pope Francis greets a baby as he arrives for the weekly general audience in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican, May 3, 2023. REUTERS/Remo Casilli

ROME (Reuters) - Starting a family in Italy is becoming a "titanic effort" that only the rich can afford, Pope Francis said on Friday, warning that "savage" free-market conditions were preventing the young from having children.

Births in Italy dropped below 400,000 in 2022 for the first time, registering a 14th consecutive annual fall, with the overall population declining by 179,000 to 58.85 million.