Madeira’s Resident Population Increase

In Search of Hope – by Sam Gannon

Seconded to the parish of Tililngdon, the Reverend Dolores has been presented with a challenge.

She’s living in an antiquated house and she’s cold. Furthermore, her new Bishop, Bishop Alice does not approve of ‘showgirls in dog collars.’

Determined to prove the Bishop wrong, she sets about warming her house – who cares if it smells of horse! There is the crochet club, jumble sale, and soup run to organise. And this year, the church bells will ring, no matter what threats are made. Even more so, the newly formed choir will spread a little joy this Christmas, even though they can’t sing – yet! And with a little help from Phil, her bassist, this year could be full of magic.

However, she has a fight on her hands as the townies out in Knob Hill – she must stop calling it that, are trying to stop her from ringing her bells. When Krystal with a K decides to do some volunteer work, Dolores sets out to see just how committed she really is.

Up to her ears in granny squares and squawking choristers, Dolores is revving up for Christmas, yet a deeper darker secret is beginning to emerge!

A secret that could blow the whole parish apart and put Dolores in danger.

(available from Amazon)

The resident population in Madeira grew for the seventh consecutive year in 2025, reaching 266,130 inhabitants, the highest figure recorded in the last 14 years. According to the latest estimates released by the Regional Directorate of Statistics of Madeira (DREM), this growth was primarily driven by positive net migration, which successfully offset a worsening negative natural balance.

Data produced by the National Statistics Institute (INE) shows that the region gained 1,430 residents compared to 2024, when the population stood at 264,700. The current figure nears the historical peak observed in 2010, when the region’s population reached 267,965.

The population increase was determined by a net migration of +2,557 people, the difference between total arrivals and departures. This influx compensated for a declining natural balance, which dropped from -781 in 2024 to -1,127 in 2025, reflecting a higher number of deaths than births.

The effective growth rate was positive at 5.4 per thousand inhabitants, supported by a migration growth rate of 9.6 per thousand, which effectively masked the negative natural growth rate of -4.2 per thousand.

The largest relative population increases were recorded in:

Porto Santo: 54.5‰
Porto Moniz: 34.3‰
Machico: 14.7‰

Conversely, only Santana (-1.7‰) and Funchal (-1.5‰) recorded negative effective growth rates. Funchal remains the region’s most densely populated area, with 1,488.4 inhabitants per square kilometre, while Porto Moniz remains the least dense, at 33.3 inhabitants per square kilometre. The regional average population density sits at 332.2 inhabitants per square kilometre.

Data further highlights an accelerating trend toward an aging population. The proportion of young people under 15 years old decreased from 12.1% in 2024 to 11.7% in 2025, while inhabitants aged 65 and over increased from 21.3% to 21.9%.

Consequently, the aging index has risen to 186.5 elderly persons for every 100 young people, up from 176.4 the previous year. Porto Moniz (310.5) and Santana (306.2) reported the highest indices, while Santa Cruz (126.3) and Câmara de Lobos (122.3) recorded the lowest. However, the number of elderly residents now exceeds the number of young people in every municipality across the region.

The median age of the resident population also increased, rising from 46.8 years in 2024 to 47.2 years in 2025. According to DREM, these figures confirm a clear decade-long trend: the population pyramid is narrowing at the base due to a falling birth rate and widening at the top due to increased life expectancy.

Mobility in Funchal

Madeira’s Resident Population Increase

The population increase was determined by a net migration of +2,557 people, the difference between total arrivals and departures. This influx compensated for a declining natural balance, which dropped from -781 in 2024 to -1,127 in 2025, reflecting a higher number of deaths than births.

The largest relative population increases were recorded in:

Public Holidays 2026

Orchids in Neves