Old town dies – Venice: more tourists, residents flee

The depopulation of central Venice has been a hot topic for years. 20 years ago, Venice had a population of 64,000. Ten years ago, in 2012, that had dropped to 58,200.

Residents are leaving the center en masse
Residents are leaving the center en masse. Within a generation, the population has shrunk by almost a third. The number of tourists, on the other hand, has almost quadrupled in the last 25 years. Nearly half of the people still living in Venice are over the age of 60, with only about 9,000 under the age of 18. The death rate is about three times the birth rate.

The established Venetians are leaving – often with a heavy heart. “If we continue like this, we will become a ghost town like Pompeii,” said Matteo Secchi of the organization “Venessia.com”, which is committed to the survival of the city. He tirelessly warns of a “Venexodus”. Young people in particular seem to have had enough of paying exorbitant prices for basic groceries, enduring the influx of tourists, not owning a car and spending huge amounts on a small apartment.

City wants to create incentives
Mayor Luigi Brugnaro denies that Venice has a future as a museum city. If you take into account the inhabitants of the island, the lagoon has about 77,000 inhabitants. There are also 25,000 students and 35,000 commuters spending the day in Venice. According to Mayor Brugnaro, it is about strengthening Venice’s own strength.

With less bureaucracy and taxes and more financial incentives, residents should be lured back to Venice. Families should be supported more, students from the local university could be persuaded to stay in the lagoon city after the end of their studies with support measures. There is still a glimmer of hope, Brugnaro says.