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Venice has progressively lost its inhabitants living in the historical center. For 15 centuries, this area has been the cornerstone of the city's political, economic, and social life, with a peak of 174,800 residents reached in 1951. Since then, a substantial decline has started in favor of the mainland. In 1960, it became more populous than the ancient settlement for the first time since its founding in the seventh century A.D. Over the last 20 years, the population of the dry land has stabilized at approximately 180,000. There, they can find better and easily accessible public services and modern infrastructures while avoiding the problem of overtourism. On the contrary, in 2025, only 47,625 inhabitants lived in the center, more than 70 percent less than in 1952. The population residing in the estuary never exceeded 51,000 people, and the depopulation trend has been constant since the 1990s.

The problem of overtourism

Tourism is a crucial sector for the city’s economy. It contributes 1.67 billion euros to Venice’s Gross Domestic Product, and more than 1,260 hotels are located within the municipality. Despite being its largest economic resource, tourism has gradually become one of the greatest threats to Venice’s survival. Less than 50,000 people reside in the historical city center, which was visited by almost six million tourists in 2023. Overtourism, with an enormous disproportion between visitors and inhabitants, has significantly lowered Venice’s life quality, and relocating to the mainland appears to be the only feasible solution for many Venetians. Between April and July 2024, the municipality administration introduced a five-euro ticket that daily tourists had to purchase before entering Venice, with the objective of controlling the flow of tourism.