DREM publishes a new edition of the Quarterly Statistical Bulletin covering the 1st quarter of 2026
The Regional Directorate of Statistics of Madeira (DREM) releases today a new edition of the Quarterly Statistical Bulletin (QSB) dedicated to the 1st quarter of 2026.
A summary of the main conclusions drawn from the Overview is presented below.
Statistical indicators with overall positive developments in the 1st quarter of 2026
In the 1st quarter of 2026, most of the indicators considered in this synthesis developed positively, although some agriculture and fisheries variables and the sale of dwellings showed a year-on-year decrease.
The Regional Economic Activity Indicator (RIEA) shows an acceleration in the growth rate of economic activity in the Autonomous Region of Madeira (ARM) in the 1st quarter of 2026 compared with the previous quarter. In March 2026, the last month of the quarter under review, a cycle of 60 months of continuous growth in the ARM economy was completed.
In the 1st quarter of 2026, the regional unemployment rate stood at 4.5%, 2.2 percentage points (pp) lower than in the same quarter of the previous year and 0.4 pp lower than in the previous quarter.
In the quarter under review, the average gross monthly earnings per worker in the Region registered a year-on-year nominal change of 3.4%, standing at 1 543 euros. The real change was also positive, at 0.6%.
In March 2026, in the ARM, the inflation rate (12-month average change recorded by the Consumer Price Index - CPI) was 3.2% (2.3% nationally), 0.3 percentage points (pp) lower than that recorded in December 2025 (3.5%). The year-on-year change stood at 3.2% (2.7% nationally), slightly higher than the 3.1% observed in December of the previous year.
The monetary data, produced by the Bank of Portugal and redistributed by DREM, show that the non-performing loans ratio for non-financial companies remained unchanged from December 2025, standing at 1.0% in March 2026. Year-on-year, it increased by 0.2 p.p. In the households and NPISH sector, this ratio stood at 1.0% (+0.1 pp year-on-year; +0.2 pp compared with December 2025).
According to SIBS data, in the quarter under review, cash withdrawals added to purchases made through automatic payment terminals showed a year-on-year increase of 3.6%, driven by growth of 4.8% in national cards, while international cards recorded a decrease of 0.9%.
In the quarter under review, the balance between enterprises incorporated and dissolved in the ARM was positive (+241 enterprises), as the number of enterprises incorporated with registered office in the ARM (357) was higher than the number of dissolutions (116).
In the agriculture sector, banana commercialisation in the 1st quarter of 2026 decreased by 25.0% compared with the same period of the previous year. Also showing a downward trend was livestock slaughtering, which recorded a decrease of 6.1%. Along the same lines, the value of landed fish showed a year-on-year reduction of 29.2%, mainly explained by the negative performance of black scabbardfish (-30.9%). In contrast, year-on-year increases were observed in egg production (+51.3%) and poultry meat (+6.3%).
In the energy sector, it should be noted that electricity distribution increased by 5.3% in the 1st quarter of 2026, year-on-year.
With regard to investment in construction, the results for the 1st quarter of 2026 point to year-on-year increases in the number building permits (+12.7%) and in the volume of cement sold (+0.9%). In turn, sales of family dwellings decreased by 19.0% in value.
Regarding the commercialisation of Madeira Wine, in the quarter under review, there was an increase of 1.9% in value and 1.8% in volume.
In the reference quarter, passenger movement at ARM airports recorded a year-on-year increase of 4.0%, in line with overnight stays and total revenue in tourist accommodation, which increased by 2.3% and 9.2%, respectively, compared with the same quarter of the previous year. In maritime transport, the movement of goods in the ARM ports grew by 5.6% in the 1st quarter of 2026, compared with the same quarter of the previous year.
For access to the QSB, please visit: