Portugal’s demographic dynamics show preference for coastal municipalities

The hinterland is depopulating but the big cities are losing residents, too

The Portuguese National Institute of Statistics (INE) reported that demographic imbalances and gaps in the Iberian country are becoming ever more pronounced with the passing of time showing tendencies of inner countryside depopulation and general ageing of the population structure.

The analysis was done to reflect on statistics from the previous decade which show that there is a process of population concentration centred mainly on the coastal municipalities. In fact, half of the country’s population lives in only 31 municipalities, and most of these are in the vicinity of the two largest urban centres – Lisbon and Porto.

Elderly population is also up by 20%

At the municipal level, “the most significant population increases in the last decade” were registered in Odemira (13.5%) and Mafra (12.8%), followed by Palmela, Alcochete, Vila do Bispo and Montijo, with values ​​between 9.6% and 8.7%, as cited by The Portugal News.

At the opposite extreme, Barrancos, Tabuaço, Torre do Moncorvo and Nisa observed “the most expressive population decreases, with values ​​above 20%”, according to the data. These municipalities are located in the northeastern mountainous and rugged corner of the country near the border with Spain.

The 10 most populous municipalities are Lisbon, Sintra, Vila Nova de Gaia, Porto, Cascais, Loures, Braga, Almada, Matosinhos and Oeiras. However, the two largest cities have registered population losses: Porto has shrunk by 2.4% and Lisbon by 1.2%. Matosinhos and Oeiras follow in the trend of population reduction.

The municipality of Braga has recorded the “most expressive” growth (6.5%), followed by Cascais and Sintra, with 3.7% and 2.1%, respectively.

The Portuguese population is growing progressively older, as well. What’s more troubling is that the effect is compounded by the significant reduction in young people, due to lower birth rates. Currently, the population ageing index translates into 182 elderly people for every 100 young people. This indicator has progressively increased: in 2011 there were 128 young people per 100 elderly people, and in 2001 there were 102.