Italy cuts school staff amid demographic decline

Italy's government is reducing the number of teachers and non-teaching staff as declining birthrates lead to fewer students in classrooms. The draft 2027 budget law, approved by the cabinet last week, outlines these cuts.

The law proposes a 75% cap on public sector hires to replace retiring staff, which is expected to save €336 million over the 2027-2028 school year. This follows previous cuts from the 2025 budget law, which reduced teacher staffing by 5,660 units and non-teaching staff by 2,174 units.

Official data shows that primary and secondary school enrollment in Italy fell from 8.4 million in 2017-2018 to 7.7 million in 2024-2025. The UIL trade union criticized the continued reduction in staffing, saying it worsens an already strained education system.

Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's government faces financial constraints due to EU deficit limits and high energy costs, which have contributed to inflation reaching 5.6% in October. The government is also dealing with protests over the cost-of-living crisis, some of which have turned violent.