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Italy issues more citizenships compared to any other EU nation, according to the latest data analysis.

Italy grants more citizenship claims than any other EU nation annually, according to the data, contradicting assertions from some politicians who argue against easing the process for long-term residents.

,   and  ASMedia
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Data shows that Italy consistently processes and approves the highest number of citizenship claims...
Data shows that Italy consistently processes and approves the highest number of citizenship claims among EU countries annually, as claimed by politicians opposed to easing the citizenship process for long-term residents.

Italy issues more citizenships compared to any other EU nation, according to the latest data analysis.

As Italians prepare for a June 8-9th referendum to ease the rules on applying for citizenship, a debate surrounding the proposal's merits arises. Opponents of the proposition argue that Italy has already granted more citizenships than any other EU nation annually, a claim to be scrutinized.

Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini, leader of the anti-immigrant League party, contends that reducing the wait time from ten to five years for applicants would lead to "indiscriminate extension" of Italian citizenship. However, an analysis of available data reveals that Italy's claim to being the first European country in granting citizenship every year is not accurate, particularly concerning the residency route.

Eurostat statistics for 2023 reveal that Spain approved a significantly higher number of applications from residents (240,000) than Italy (214,000). Furthermore, Italy ranked first in EU citizenship grants for only five out of ten years from 2014 to 2023, not "every year," as Salvini implies.

Across the three routes for citizenship applications – ancestry, residency, and marriage – the residency route often falls second to the ancestry route in Italy. From 2014 to 2023, Italy ranked first in the EU for citizenship for five years out of ten, with a lower rate in the late 1990s and early 2000s [1][2][3].

If the referendum passes, an estimated 1.4 million individuals would become eligible for citizenship. However, with the overall requirements remaining the same, an increase in the number of applicants for the long term may not be likely [1].

In a recent move, the government drastically reduced the number of people eligible to apply for ancestral citizenship at the end of March 2023, which could potentially impact the number of future grant approvals for this route [1].

For updates and more news regarding Italian citizenship, visit our dedicated section on Italian citizenship.

References:

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  3. Italian citizenship section
  4. The Deputy Prime Minister of Italy, Matteo Salvini, claimed that reducing the residency requirement from ten to five years would lead to an "indiscriminate extension" of Italian citizenship.
  5. However, an analysis of Eurostat statistics for 2023 shows that Spain approved a significantly higher number of residency applications (240,000) compared to Italy (214,000), and Italy ranked first in EU citizenship grants for only five out of ten years from 2014 to 2023.
  6. In a recent move, the Italian government drastically reduced the number of people eligible to apply for ancestral citizenship, which could potentially affect future grant approvals for this route.
  7. If the referendum passes, an estimated 1.4 million individuals would become eligible for Italian citizenship; however, with the overall requirements remaining the same, an increase in the number of applicants for the long term may not be likely due to the limitations on the ancestral citizenship route.

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