Fri Nov 15 19:20:00 UTC 2024: ## Portugal’s Population Grows for Fifth Consecutive Year, Driven by Immigration

**LISBON, PORTUGAL –** Portugal’s population increased for the fifth consecutive year in 2023, reaching 10,639,726 residents, according to data released Friday by the National Statistics Institute (INE). This represents a 1.16% growth, adding 123,000 people compared to 2022. The increase is entirely attributable to immigration, offsetting a negative natural population change (more deaths than births).

The positive net migration balance reached 155,701, significantly higher than the 136,144 recorded in 2022. This influx of immigrants compensated for a negative natural balance of -32,596. An estimated 189,367 people immigrated to Portugal in 2023, a 13.3% increase compared to 2022. Conversely, over 33,000 people emigrated, an 8.8% increase from the previous year.

Professor Pedro Góis, scientific director of the Migration Observatory at the University of Coimbra, highlighted the critical importance of retaining these immigrants. He stressed that without them, Portugal would struggle to regenerate its population, maintain its workforce, and ensure the long-term sustainability of its social security system. He noted that the data contradicts more radical anti-immigration narratives.

While the number of live births increased by 2.4% to 85,699, the fertility rate remains low at 1.44 children per woman of childbearing age. Nearly one-third (29.2%) of births were to mothers of foreign nationality. Professor Góis pointed out that without the contribution of immigrant mothers, Portugal’s birth rate would be alarmingly low.

The number of deaths decreased by 4.9% to 118,295. Infant mortality also fell to 2.5 deaths per thousand live births. The INE data also confirms the ongoing trend of an aging population.

The majority of visas issued by Portuguese consulates were to citizens from Portuguese-speaking African countries (Angola, Brazil, São Tomé and Príncipe, Guinea-Bissau, Cape Verde, and Mozambique), accounting for 71.1% of the 102,528 visas issued.

Despite a slight increase in births in 2023, preliminary data suggests a slight decrease in 2024. The INE data underscores the continued reliance on immigration to maintain Portugal’s population growth and counteract the effects of an aging population and low birth rate.

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