Italian President Sergio Mattarella said his country’s falling birthrate posed an existential threat to the future of Italy.

Mattarella delivered the dire warning on Tuesday after the Italian government’s statistics agency, ISTAT, released data showing that birthrates had fallen in 2019, according to Reuters. Italy’s birthrates, coupled with its aging population, have contributed to the nation’s economic flatline in recent years.

"This is a problem that concerns the very existence of our country," Mattarella said. "The fabric of our country is weakening, and everything must be done to counter this phenomenon."

"As an old person, I am well aware of the falling birthrate," he added.

ISTAT’s data showed 435,000 births in Italy in 2019, down by about 5,000 from 2018. The number is the lowest ever recorded in Italy. ISTAT reported 647,000 Italians died in 2019, up about 14,000 from 2018. Italy’s overall population fell by 116,000 to 60.3 million.

Birthrates across Europe have fallen in recent years. In 2017, the European Union averaged 1.6 births per woman, well below the widely accepted rate of 2.1 births per woman needed to replace a population.

The United States’ birthrate fell to a 32-year low in 2018 as the number of babies born declined for a fourth straight year. Women in the U.S. averaged 1.73 births in 2018.