The International Activities of Italian Statisticians Prior to the Second World War

Abstract

Unlike the majority of great nations in Western Europe, Italy achieved its unity only in the second half of the nineteenth century. The Congresses for Scientists played their part in the unification of the country. But even before Italy was unified, Italian statisticians made a solid contribution to the development of statistics, among other things by taking an active part in international congresses on statistics and demography. Of particular importance was the contribution made by Italian statisticians to the foundation, inception and growth of the International Statistical Institute and Italian participation in the life of the Institute was extremely active, especially in its scientific sessions, prior to the outbreak of the Second World War. Considerable influence was exercised by Italian demographers in the creation and development of the International Union for the Scientific Investigation of Population Problems, which later became known as the International Union for the Scientific Study of Population.