Italy, which has been struggling with a strong population decline for years, saw the fewest number of births ever recorded in 2023, according to figures by the country’s statistics agency Istat released on Friday. The preliminary data shows that only some 379,000 children were born last year, another record low and the 11th consecutive one since 2013. This compares to some 557,000 births recorded in 2008. Birth rates started to fluctuate in the years afterwards, but have been experiencing a steep decline since 2013. Since records began with the unification of Italy in the 19th century, there h…