The Inhabitants of San Marino: the Demographic Heart

Imagine flying over Mount Titano at sunset: the lights of houses begin to turn on one after another, like stars dotting the territory of the world’s oldest Republic. Each light tells a story, every illuminated window represents a part of San Marino’s rich demographic mosaic.

Sammarinesi, no san marinesi

An important linguistic clarification: the inhabitants of the Republic define themselves as “Sammarinesi“, written as a single word. The use of “san marinesi” or “sanmarinesi” is incorrect. This denomination, in addition to being the correct form, reflects the unity and specific identity of the people of Titano.

The Sammarinese Population: Numbers and current Trends

As of November 2023, the Sammarinese territory hosts 34,000 inhabitants, a number that might seem modest but encompasses an extraordinary diversity and a thousand-year history of steady growth and demographic change.

Territorial Distribution: the Nine Castles and their Inhabitants

The Sammarinese population is distributed across the nine historical Castles, each with its own identity and distinctive demographic characteristics:

• Serravalle emerges as the throbbing heart of the Republic with 11,229 residents
• Borgo Maggiore follows with 6.948 inhabitants
• San Marino Città, historic capital, welcomes 4,103 citizens
• Domagnano hosts 3,605 residents
• Fiorentino has 2,617 inhabitants
• Acquaviva welcomes 2.122 citizens
• Faetano and Chiesanuova are equivalent, with 1,183 and 1,182 inhabitants respectively
• Montegiardino, the smallest, has 1,011 residents

The composition of the population: a balance of genders and cultures

The San Marino population presents interesting demographic characteristics:

• A slight female prevalence (50.5% vs. 49.5% male)
• A strong national identity with 28,207 Sammarinese citizens (82.9%)
• A significant Italian presence with 4,985 residents (14.7%)
• A growing cultural diversity with 808 citizens of other nationalities (2.4%)

Demographic Trends: A Look to the Future

Population Growth and Movement

The last decade has seen a steady and sustainable demographic growth:

• An increase of 1,211 inhabitants from 2014 to 2023
• A growth rate of 3.7% over ten years
• A positive migration balance that compensates for the slight natural decline

The Resident Population: an Additional Dimension

In addition to permanent residents, San Marino hosts 1,376 permit holders:

• 636 Italian citizens
• 740 people from other countries

The Demographic Uniqueness of San Marino

What truly makes the Sammarinese demographic landscape special is not just the numbers, but the way this small Republic has managed to maintain its millennial identity while evolving as a modern and multicultural society.

The population distribution across the nine Castles still reflects the ancient territorial organization today, while the openness to new residents demonstrates San Marino’s ability to renew itself while maintaining its historical roots.

Future Perspectives

Current demographic data suggest an unsustainable future of population decline for San Marino, although the Republic continues to attract new residents while preserving its characteristic balance between history and modernity.

The data were collected on the statistica.sm website.

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