Portugal with fewer babies and more deaths in 2021
The natural balance of the Portuguese population worsened in 2021, with the birth of fewer babies (-5.9%) and the increase in the number of deaths (1.2%) revealed this Wednesday the National Statistics Institute (INE) ) ).
Negative mothers in all regions of the country maintained, in a year in which 79,582 children were born to living in Portugal. “This value reflects a decrease of 5.9% (4,948 fewer births) compared to the previous year”, indicated the INE document that accompanies the dissemination of vital statistics of the population.
“Of the total number of live births, 60.0% were born out of wedlock, that is, to parents not married to each other,” the institute said.
40,762 boys and 38,820 girls were born, that is, for every 100 female children, around 105 male children were born, according to INE.
Last year, there were 124,802 deaths of people residing in the national territory, 1.2% more (1,444 more) than in 2020.
“The increase in the number of deaths and the decline in the number of the living again determined a strong worsening of the natural balance, from -38,828 in 2020 to -45,220 in 2021”, reads the communication.
In 2021, 191 children under one year old, 14 fewer than in 2020, keeping the infant mortality rate at 2.4 deaths per thousand live births.
After the “strong drop in the number of marriages” celebrated in 2020 (18,902, 43.2% less than in 2019), the number of marriages last year dropped to 29,057 (up 53.7%).
In about two thirds of marriages (66.2%), the couple already had a previous common residence.