Pordata emphasizes that, in 2017 and the following year, the migration balance was unable to offset the negative natural balance, but since 2019, it has been offsetting it, thus contributing to the country's population growth. Still, it indicates "that the net migration recorded in 2024 (143,641), although positive, was 8% lower than that of 2023."

The analysis also highlights that, in 2024, there were 10,749,635 individuals residing in Portugal, an increase of 109,909 people compared to 2023. "This is the sixth consecutive year of population growth, the second with the largest absolute increase in this period. However, overall growth does not reflect a rejuvenation of the population," it says.

However, it notes that population growth was not recorded uniformly across major age groups. "There was a reduction in the number of young people under 15 and an increase in the others." The working-age population (15-64 years) increased by more than 60,000 individuals, and the elderly population by more than 50,000,” it indicates, based on data from the National Statistics Institute (INE).

In 2024, there were 3,282 centenarians, 123 more than in 2023, the vast majority of whom were women (2,686).

Population growth by region

The largest population growth was recorded in the Aveiro region, and the largest reduction was in the Alto Alentejo. In ten of the current 26 NUTS III regions, growth was higher than that recorded nationally, and in seven, population declines were recorded: Central Alentejo, Tâmega e Sousa, Baixo Alentejo, Terras de Trás-os-Montes, Douro, Alto Tâmega e Barroso, and Alto Alentejo.

At the same time, in 2024, the ageing index was 192 elderly people for every 100 young people, an increase of 4.3 points. percentages (pp.) compared to 2023. Compared to 2021, the increase was 11.1 points, compared to 18.1 points between 2018 and 2021, Pordata highlights.

The potential sustainability index, which measures the ratio between the number of working-age people and the number of seniors, fell again, falling from 2.62 working-age people for every senior in 2023 to 2.59 in 2024. "Despite the decrease, which reflects the continued aging of the Portuguese population, the decline seen last year was slightly less pronounced than in more recent years," it highlights.