The resident population in Portugal was estimated at 10,749,635 as of December 31, 2024, marking an increase of 109,909 from 2023, when the population was 10,639,726.
The population growth stemmed from a net migration of 143,641 individuals, which offset the negative natural balance of -33,732. This positive migration balance compensates the natural decline, with figures slightly changing from -32,596 in 2023.
According to national statistics, these trends resulted in effective, migratory, and natural growth rates of 1.03%, 1.34%, and -0.32% respectively, compared to 1.16%, 1.47%, and -0.31% in 2023.
The resident population in Portugal has been on the rise since 2019, driven by positive net migration, which has offset the natural negative balance.
Statistics indicate that since 2015, excluding the pandemic restrictions in 2020, there has been a rise in permanent immigrants—individuals moving to Portugal for a year or more—with a marked increase in the past three years.
Last year, there were 84,642 live births from mothers residing in Portugal, a 1.2% decline from 85,699 in 2023, contributing to a drop in the crude birth rate from 8.1 per thousand inhabitants in 2023 to 7.9 in 2024.
Consequently, the average number of children per woman of childbearing age decreased to 1.40 in 2024 from 1.44 in 2023.
This year, the average age of women at childbirth was 31.7 years, a 0.1-year increase from 2023.
Portugal’s aging index, comparing those aged 65 and over to those aged 0-14, rose from 147.6 seniors per 100 youth in 2015 to 192.4 in 2024, up from 188.1 in 2023.
The median age of the resident population increased from 47.1 years in 2023 to 47.3 years in 2024.
Deaths totaled 118,374 last year, reflecting a slight increase of 0.1% or 79 additional deaths compared to 2023.
Despite the slight rise in mortality, the crude death rate fell from 11.2 per thousand inhabitants in 2023 to 11.1 in 2024.
