The resident population in the Autonomous Region of Madeira is once again approaching 260 thousand, reaching its highest value since 2014, reveals the Regional Directorate of Statistics of Madeira (DREM). Their report is based on data provided by the National Statistics Institute (INE), analysed on the 31st of December 2024.
The resident population was estimated at 259,440 people (123,222 men and 136,218 women) in the Region, which maintained, for the sixth consecutive year, the population growth trend, with 2,818 more people compared to 2023 (256,622 people, 120,996 men and 135,626 women).
The migratory balance recorded in 2024 (+3,599), corresponding to the difference between individuals who came from abroad to reside in the Region and those who left, ceasing to be residents, was decisive for the increase in the resident population this year, being the highest since INE (1981).
“This balance offset the unfavourable evolution of the natural balance (difference between live births and deaths), which, although negative, improved compared to 2023, from -1,040 to -781,” cites the DREM report.
The largest population increases in relative terms were observed in the municipalities of São Vicente (29.9‰), Porto Santo (27.5‰) and Porto Moniz (27.3‰). It should be noted that all municipalities presented a positive effective growth rate.
In 2024, the population density of the Autonomous Region of Madeira was 323.9 inhabitants per km2. Funchal was the municipality with the highest value (1,418.6 inhabitants/km2), contrasting with Porto Moniz, which had the lowest value (31.3 inhabitants/km2).
The proportion of young people decreases again, and aging increases
The proportion of young people (population under 15 years of age) decreased again in 2024, representing 11.9% of the total population (12.2% in 2023). The proportion of elderly people (population aged 65 and over) maintained the upward trend of recent years, reaching 21.3% of the resident population (20.9% in 2023).
As a result, the ageing index, which relates the number of elderly people per 100 young people, increased again, standing at 178.7 elderly people per 100 young people (171.5 in 2023), according to DREM.
“The highest values of this indicator were recorded in Porto Moniz (341.0) and Santana (308.0). The lowest values were observed in Santa Cruz (116.1) and Câmara de Lobos (117.4), and in all municipalities, the number of elderly people exceeds the number of young people.”
The average age of residents in Madeira rises to 47.2 years
The median age of the resident population in the Region, which corresponds to the age that divides the population into two groups of equal size, increased from 46.9 years in 2023 to 47.2 years in 2024.
The trend of demographic aging is reflected in the change in the profile of the age pyramids in the Region over the last decade (2014-2024).
46 more children were born than in 2023
The average number of children per woman of childbearing age (15-49 years), translated by the synthetic fertility index, increased to 1.25 children per woman (1.22 in 2023), remaining considerably below the value needed to ensure generational replacement (2.1 children per woman of childbearing age).
In 2024, there were 1,793 live births born to mothers residing in the Region, 46 more children (+2.6%) than in 2023, corresponding to a crude birth rate of 6.9 live births per thousand inhabitants (6.8‰ in 2023).
217 fewer people died
In that year, there were 2,574 deaths of residents in the Region, 217 fewer deaths (-7.8%) than in 2023. The crude mortality rate stood at 10.0 per thousand inhabitants, slightly lower than that observed in 2023 (10.9‰) and, as in 2017, the lowest since 2014.
It’s been 17 years since there were so many weddings
The number of marriages reached the highest value in the last 17 years (1,225 marriages), reflected in a gross marriage rate of 4.7 marriages per thousand inhabitants in 2024 (4.5‰ in 2023), reveals DREM.
Widowhood rate reaches historic low
The number of those widowed due to the death of one of the spouses reached the lowest value since records began (in 1981), with only 932 partners being left on their own.
Samantha Gannon
info at madeira-weekly.com
Stats: DN
