NOTE: [On 19/11/2025, the news release and the time series were corrected following a data revision carried out by Statistics Portugal (INE) and the extension of the 2017 pensioners’ series.]

DREM updates the time series on Social Protection with 2024 data

The Regional Directorate of Statistics of Madeira (DREM) is releasing today, on its website, the Time Series on Social Protection, updated with data from the year 2024.

According to the new methodology established by the Institute for Informatics P.I. of the Ministry of Labour, Solidarity, and Social Security, the indicators concerning pensioners in 2024 will now include the number of pensioners receiving pensions under the Social Security system: General Regime, Non-Contributory and Equivalent Regime, and Special Regime for Social Security for Agricultural Activities. The data refers to pensions paid by Social Security.

The new interactive Social Protection dashboard will also be released. This tool allows users to dynamically and intuitively explore the main indicators of the Social Protection Series, with the option to view them by year and municipality. Data visualisation is facilitated through appealing, easy-to-read charts, contributing to a more accessible and informative consultation for all users.

1.Social Security - Number of sickness benefit recipients increased, while the number of unemployment benefit recipients decreased

1.1. Pensioners

At the end of 2024, there were 66 724 active Social Security pensioners in the Autonomous Region of Madeira (ARM), accounting for 25.7% of the resident population. Among this group, 63.5% received old-age pensions, 26.5% survivor's pensions, and 10.0% disability pensions. Compared with 2023, the number of pensioners increased by 1.0%, driven by the rise in the number of old-age pension beneficiaries (+2.3%). However, decreases were observed in the number of beneficiaries of survivor’s pensions and disability pensions (both –1.1%).

The mean value paid to Social Security pensioners in 2024 reached 6 793 euros. The annual mean paid value in old-age pensions amounted to 8 116 euros, exceeding the average disability pensions (6 494 euros) and survivor pensions (3 730 euros). Compared with the previous year, the mean annual pension amount increased by 11.7%, with rises of 11.4% in both old-age and survivor’s pensions, and 9.9% in disability pensions.

The total value paid of the social benefits mentioned above, at the end of 2024, amounted to 453.3 million euros. Out of this amount, 75.9% corresponded to old-age pensions (344.2 million euros), 14.5% to survivors’ pensions (65.9 million euros), and 9.5% to disability pensions (43.2 million euros). For all functions under analysis, and compared with 2023, positive changes were recorded: +13.9% in old-age pension expenditure, +10.2% in survivor’s pensions, and +8.7% in disability pensions.

1.2. Unemployment Benefits

In the reference year, 6 430 persons received unemployment benefits, representing a 2.6% decrease from the previous year and, of these recipients, 51.7% had not received this benefit in 2023. By sex, 43.7% of the recipients were male and 56.3% were female. In terms of age, the age group with the lowest number of recipients was young persons (under 25 years old), accounting for 6.8%. The group with the highest number of recipients included persons aged 55 years old and over, at 29.3%, followed by the groups aged 30 to 39 years (21.1%) and 40 to 49 years (19.6%).

The average duration of receiving unemployment benefits was 174 days, lower than in 2023 (177 days), with the average value of this type of benefit hovering around 3 342 euros (+5.6% compared to the previous year).

1.3. Family Benefits

Regarding the main family benefits from Social Security, in 2024, there was a decrease in the number of recipients of child and youth family allowance (-4.8%) and an increase in the number of recipients of initial parental benefits (+1.0%).

As for social inclusion income, around 4 032 persons received this type of social benefit (-22.0% than in 2023), with 47.4% of them being male. By age group, it was observed that 33.2% of the recipients were persons aged 55 and older and over and 31.4% were persons under 25 years old. The amount processed for this social benefit was 6.2 million euros, marking a 6.6% decrease from 2023.

In 2024, 20.4 million euros were processed for the 4 777 recipients of the inclusion social benefit (+18.2% and +7.0% compared to the previous year, respectively), with the age group 55 and older having the highest number of recipients (1 394; 29.2% of the total), followed by the age groups of 40 to 49 years (1 025; 21.5%) and 30 to 39 years old (776; 16.2%).

1.4. Sickness Benefits

Between 2023 and 2024, there was a 9.2% increase in the number of sickness benefit recipients, totalling 19 927 persons in the latter year. The average number of days processed for this type of benefit reached 71 days in 2024, which represents a decrease of 3 days compared to the previous year. The processed values amounted to 35.0 million euros, reflecting a 15.4% increase from 2023.

2. Caixa Geral de Aposentações – Number of system users increased

With regard to Caixa Geral de Aposentações, at the end of 2024, the number of pensioners of the Civil Service Retirement System Scheme in the Autonomous Region of Madeira reached 14 558 (an increase of 579 persons from 2023), with 72.4% being beneficiaries of old-age and disability pensions, and 27.6% receiving survivors’ pensions.

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