Births Climb, Deaths Fall, but Population Growth Stays Negative

Deaths Drop by 4.4% While Births Surge 6.1% in Madeira

In the first eight months of 2024, Madeira saw a decline in the number of deaths and a slight rise in births compared to the same period in 2023. According to data released this morning, 237 deaths were recorded in August, marking a 4.4% drop from August 2023. At the same time, the region reported 156 live births in August, reflecting a 6.1% increase over the previous year.

Madeira Continues to See Negative Natural Population Growth

Despite these positive trends, Madeira’s natural population growth remains negative, a trend that has persisted since 2009. The balance between live births and deaths in August 2024 resulted in a negative natural increase of 81, though this is less severe than the negative 101 recorded in August 2023. From January to August, the cumulative natural decrease stands at -593, an improvement from the -763 seen during the same period last year.

In fact, 2024 is not expected to be different from previous years, specifically since 2009, marking the 16th consecutive year of negative natural population growth.

Diário de Notícias da Madeira

Mortality Still Higher Than Pre-Pandemic Averages

While deaths in 2024 have decreased overall, mortality rates remain higher than pre-pandemic averages. In August 2024, Madeira recorded 11% more deaths compared to the average for August between 2016 and 2019, highlighting an ongoing excess mortality. Unfortunately, August 2024 also saw one stillbirth, though no deaths of children under one year were reported.

The total fertility rate increased from 1.23 children per woman in their child-bearing years (15-49 years) in 2021 to 1.25 in 2022 but still remains below the replacement level (2.1 children per woman).

DREM

Marriages Surge in August, Continuing an Upward Trend

In contrast to the negative population growth, marriage rates have seen a significant increase. A total of 137 marriages were celebrated in August 2024, a 29.2% rise from the same month in 2023. From January to August, there have been 753 marriages in Madeira, an increase of 9.4% compared to the same period last year.

Sources:
Diário de Notícias da Madeira
DREM