Demographics
| Historical population | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
| 1861 | 1,920,000 | — |
| 1871 | 2,124,000 | +10.6% |
| 1881 | 2,187,000 | +3.0% |
| 1901 | 2,503,000 | +14.4% |
| 1911 | 2,670,000 | +6.7% |
| 1921 | 2,810,000 | +5.2% |
| 1931 | 2,914,000 | +3.7% |
| 1936 | 2,978,000 | +2.2% |
| 1951 | 3,159,000 | +6.1% |
| 1961 | 3,286,000 | +4.0% |
| 1971 | 3,473,000 | +5.7% |
| 1981 | 3,581,000 | +3.1% |
| 1991 | 3,530,000 | −1.4% |
| 2001 | 3,498,000 | −0.9% |
| 2011 | 3,750,000 | +7.2% |
| Source: ISTAT 2001 | ||
The population density of Tuscany, with 161 inhabitants per square kilometre (420 /sq mi) in 2008, is below the national average (198.8 /km2 or 515 /sq mi). This is due to the low population density of the provinces of Arezzo, Siena and primarily, Grosseto (50 /km2 or 130 /sq mi). The highest density is found in the province of Prato (675 /km2 or 1,750 /sq mi) followed by the provinces of Pistoia, Livorno, Florence and Lucca, peaking in the cities of Florence (more than 3,500 /km2 or 9,100 /sq mi), Livorno, Prato, Viareggio, Forte dei Marmi and Montecatini Terme (all with a population density of more than 1,000 /km2 or 2,600 /sq mi). The territorial distribution of the population is closely linked to the socio-cultural and, more recently, economic and industrial development of Tuscany.
Accordingly, the least densely populated areas are those where the main activity is agriculture, unlike the others where, despite the presence of a number of large industrial complexes, the main activities are connected with tourism and associated services, alongside many small firms in the leather, glass, paper and clothing sectors.
Italians make up 93% of the total population. Starting from the 1980s, the region attracted a large flux of immigrants, particularly from China. There is also a significant community of British and American residents. As of 2008, the Italian national institute of statistics ISTAT estimated that 275,149 foreign-born immigrants live in Tuscany, equal to 7% of the total regional population.
Read more about this topic: Tuscany