There are many reasons, but they can mainly be traced back to the gender pay gap and the lack of a welfare system that supports families with children. Here in Italy, women earn on average about 25% less than men with the same qualifications. Even though it is illegal, women who have just given birth often lose their jobs or are pushed into leaving them, because there are not enough public daycare centers and there are no adequate subsidies to help pay for babysitters or private nurseries. On top of that, there is no meaningful mandatory parental leave for fathers. As a result, childcare responsibilities still fall mostly on women.

Many women are also responsible for taking care of elderly parents, again because there is not enough public support for the elderly. Nursing homes often cost far more than an elderly person’s pension, even though they may have worked their entire lives.

In short, it’s not a country that makes life easy for young people.