Recent data from the National Institute of Statistics’ (INE) Vital Statistics reveal that 9,842 people died in July, marking an increase of 261 compared to the same month last year.
Compared to June this year, there were 759 more deaths, representing an 8.4% increase.
The INE does not attribute a specific cause, but data released by the Directorate-General of Health (DGS) last month indicated hundreds of excess deaths during the heat periods.
Between June 28 and the early days of July, during the hot weather alert period, mainland Portugal recorded 284 excess deaths, with an additional 264 excess deaths during a second heat alert period in the last week of that month.
The INE’s monthly Vital Statistics report further states that in July, 26 infants under the age of 1 died, all born to mothers residing in Portugal.
Compared to June, there were eight more infant deaths, and five more than in July 2024.
Regarding births, the most recent preliminary data from the INE pertains to June, a month that saw 7,140 live births, 206 fewer than the previous month, but 411 more than in June 2024.
“In the first half of the year, there were 41,929 live births in Portugal (690 more than the same period in 2024), of which 130 were to mothers residing abroad (148 in 2024),” the report states.
In June, the natural balance was -1,921, an improvement compared to the same month in 2024, when the natural balance was -2,509.
In the first six months of the year, there were 15,330 weddings in the country (332 more than the same period in 2024), with 3,888 of them taking place in June.
