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TIME: Almanac 1990
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1990 Time Magazine Compact Almanac, The (1991)(Time).iso
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061989
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06198900.020
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1990-09-22
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WORLD, Page 41World NotesITALYBasta to Bambini
How many children are enough? For Italian women between 15 and
49, the average number these days is 1.3, one of the world's lowest
fertility rates and especially remarkable for a nominally Roman
Catholic country.
At this rate, according to the Washington-based Population
Reference Bureau, a private data-gathering organization, Italy's
population will decline from today's 57.6 million to 55.9 million
by the year 2020.
Analysts attribute the decrease to growing interest among women
in pursuing careers, limited availability of full-time day-care
services and a fast-rising cost of living. Other factors include
housing shortages in the cities and the 1978 legalization of
abortion.