In 2019
Demographic statistics show a decrease in the number of births and deaths, while the marriages increased
The final results of demographic statistics show that in 2019 the Autonomous Region of Madeira (ARM) registered a natural decrease of 788 persons, not as expressive as in 2018 (-811 persons). This decrease was the result of a lower number of live births (1,891) than deaths (2,679). This trend of a higher number of deaths than births started in 2009 and it is shared by the country.
The live births of mothers living in the ARM registered in 2019 had a 1.5% decrease compared to 2018 (1,919 live births). Of the 1,891 children born in 2019, 52.4% were male, representing a sex ratio of 110, i.e., for each 100 females born, 110 were males. The ARM is one of the 2 Portuguese NUTS2 regions (the other is Alentejo) where the sex ratio stands above the national average (106).
Of the live births in 2019, 59.2% took place outside marriage: 55.2% were cohabitant parents and 44.8% were not. The highest concentration of live births occurred from mothers aged over 29 years (64.0%), while mothers between 30 and 39 years old were accountable for 55.3% of the total births registered this year. The share of live births from mothers aged 40 years or over increased from 7.5% in 2018 (143 live births) to 8.7% in 2019 (165 live births). The number of live births from teenage mothers (19 years or under) increased slightly compared to the previous year, however it remained below 3% (2.2% in 2018 and 2.9% in 2019). It should be highlighted that 34.5% of the live births were from mothers aged 35 and over, a higher percentage than in the country (33.3%).
There were 2,697 deaths during 2019, down by 1.9% from the previous year (2,730). Of the total number of deaths, 80.5% were of persons aged 65 or over (85.6% in the country) and 50.4% were persons aged 80 or over (59.7% in the country). The number of deaths had its peak in January (285) and its lowest value in July (192).
In 2019, there were 1,283 deaths of men (47.9%) and 1,396 of women (52.1%). Since the beginning of the century, only from 2010 onwards did the number of deaths of women surpassed the number of deaths of men, except for the year 2016.
In the year of reference, 5 deaths under 1 year and 4 dead fetuses were registered (4 deaths under 1 year and 7 dead fetuses in 2018). The infant mortality rate stood at 2.6 deaths per 1,000 live births (2.1 in 2018). Despite the increase, the infant mortality rate remains below national average (2.8 deaths per 1,000 live births).
In 2019, 966 marriages were celebrated, up by 0.7% from 2018 (959). Of the total number of marriages, 97.7% were celebrated between persons of the opposite sex, while the remaining 2.3% were same-sex marriages (22). The highest number of marriages was registered in September (149) – and the lowest in February (45). The results also show that 69.2% of the marriages celebrated in 2019 were first marriages. According to the celebration form, 67.5% were civil and 32.2% catholic. The latter celebration form had been losing importance in relative terms since 2015, but in 2019 this was reversed. In 65.2% of the total number of marriages, the chosen property scheme was joint marital property. It should also be highlighted that in 58.8% of the marriages the spouses cohabited.
In 2019, there were 1,061 marriages dissolved by death of a spouse, of which resulted 292 widowers and 769 widows. Widowhood mainly affects women, in particular due to the higher female life expectancy.