Italy Has 931k Foreign Students; 38% Want to Stay

A survey by Fondazione ISMU, released this week, shows that Italy has 931,323 foreign students enrolled in schools across the country, equivalent to 11.6% of the total student population. The data stands out because the majority of these young people were born on Italian territory but remain without access to automatic citizenship — a direct reflection of the jus sanguinis model and the restrictive naturalization rules in force in the country.

What the Fondazione ISMU Survey Reveals

According to Fondazione ISMU, an Italian reference institute for immigration studies, the 931,323 students without Italian citizenship represent 11.6% of the entire school population in the country. The number includes students of all educational levels, from early childhood education through high school.

The most striking figure, however, is another one: according to the foundation, 65.2% of these students were born in Italy itself. In other words, these are not primarily children who immigrated with their families, but a generation that grew up, was educated, and lives entirely within the Italian system — yet without automatic right to the passport of the country where they were born.

This distinction is central to understanding the public debate on citizenship in Italy. The Italian model remains based on jus sanguinis (right of blood), which means that being born on Italian soil does not, in itself, guarantee nationality. For those wanting to better understand the criteria for granting citizenship to descendants of Italians, you can consult the Italian Citizenship section of Raízes Italianas.

Plans of Foreign Youth: Stay, Leave, or Return

The Fondazione ISMU survey also asked high school students about their life plans. According to the survey, 37.9% of foreign students intend to remain in Italy in the future. A similar contingent of 30.5% says they are thinking about living in another country — not necessarily their family's country of origin. Only 7.9% are considering returning to their parents' or grandparents' country of origin.

The figures indicate that most of these young people do not see their family's homeland as a likely destination, even while maintaining cultural ties to it. Italy appears as an established life base for a good portion of those surveyed, even though access to citizenship remains a significant bureaucratic obstacle. More details about the daily lives of immigrants and Italian-descendants in the country can be found in the Life in Italy section.

Differences in Technical, Professional, and University Education

The Fondazione ISMU survey also points to differences in the educational profile between foreign and Italian students. According to the data, foreign students are more concentrated in technical and vocational institutes, with proportionally lower enrollment in academic high schools — a path traditionally associated with preparation for university education in Italy.

This difference is reflected in future expectations: according to the survey, 44.5% of foreign students intend to pursue university education, compared to 57.8% of Italian students. The foundation attributes this disparity to factors such as the school guidance received throughout their educational journey and the socioeconomic conditions of immigrant families, which often direct their children toward training focused on faster entry into the job market.

Geographic Concentration in Northern Italy

According to Fondazione ISMU, more than 65% of foreign students enrolled in Italian schools study in regions of northern Italy, with emphasis on Lombardia, which has the largest contingent among all Italian regions.

This geographic distribution confirms a historical pattern of immigration to Italy, which tends to concentrate in industrial and economic hubs in the North, where job opportunities are greater. For Brazilians descended from Italians who follow changes in the country's migratory profile, the data helps contextualize both current Italian social reality and the backdrop of discussions on citizenship rule reforms — a topic that has generated recent debates involving both immigrants and descendants seeking recognition through ancestry.

Those wanting to follow other developments on the topic can check full coverage at Italy News.

Final Thoughts

The Fondazione ISMU numbers lay bare a paradox of the Italian system: nearly one million students grow up, study, and plan their future within Italy without holding the citizenship of the country where they were born or raised. While the debate over naturalization of immigrants remains open in the Italian Parliament, families descended from Italians who are pursuing the reverse path — recognition of citizenship through ancestry — also face increasingly stringent processes, especially after recent changes in legislation.

For those planning to begin the necessary documentary research, support in searching for records in Italy can facilitate steps that often slow down the process. And for guidance on eligibility and procedural strategy, it's worth seeking specialized Italian citizenship advisory services.

Source: Italianismo