Birth rate increases in Portugal against the cycle with population loss
After the historic drop recorded in 2021, Portugal ended 2022 with 5% more births.
According to data based on the “heel prick test”, more than 80,000 births were registered, an encouraging number for an aging country with just over 10 million inhabitants.
September was the month that recorded the highest number of “heel prick tests” last year (7,979), followed by August (7,862), November (7,544), October (7,147), March (7,097), May (6,915), June (6,904), December (6,744), July (6,763), January (6,482), February (6,049) and April (5,950), need the data advanced to the Lusa agency by the Instituto Nacional de Saúde Dr. Ricardo Jorge (INSA), coordinator of the screening program.
The data indicate that the Azores were the only region of the country that screened fewer newborns in 2022 compared to the previous year, totaling 1,997, six less than in 2021, and Portalegre equaled the number of births (584).
Lisbon was the city that screened the most newborns, totaling 24,842, 1,348 more compared to 2021, followed by Porto, with 15,255, 519 more compared to the previous year.
Braga registered 6,407 births in 2022, 574 more than in 2021, and Setúbal 6,373, 454 more, according to data from the “heel prick test”, carried out from the third day of life and which allows the detection of 27 diseases, allowing for early and effective action healthier development of children.
According to statistics, Portugal has lost more than 200 thousand inhabitants in the last ten years. Projections predict that by 2070 the population will be just 8 million and that 35% will be over 65.