According to the data published by the National Statistics Institute (INE), in 2021, the Azores were home to 236,440 inhabitants, 10,115 less than in 2011.

This reduction is in line with the rest of the country, where, at the time of the census, on April 19, 2021, there were 10,344,802 people, 217,376 fewer people than in 2011, representing a population decrease of 2.1%.

“This population reduction was the result of the negative natural balance verified during the decade (-250,066 people), insofar as the migratory balance, although slightly positive, was not enough to reverse the population drop”, highlighted INE.

It should be noted that, even so, the Algarve (3.7%) and the Lisbon Metropolitan Area (1.7%) were the only regions that registered a population growth between 2011 and 2021, while the remaining regions saw a decrease in its effective population.

The data now released also shows that, between 2011 and 2021, there was a decrease in the population in all age groups, with the exception of the elderly population group (aged 65 and over), which grew by 20.6 %.

“The young population group (0-14 years old) was the one that suffered the most significant reduction (-15.3%). The decrease in the working/active young population (15-24 years old) was -5.1% and that of the population between 25 and 64 years old was -5.7%”, according to INE.

In this context, the Autonomous Region of the Azores stands out for having the highest percentages of young people (0-14 years old) and active young people (15-24 years old), 14.6% and 11.9% respectively, along with the lowest percentages of elderly population, 16.5%. On the opposite side, the Center region has the lowest percentage for the group from 0 to 14 years old (11.8%) and, together with Alentejo, the most expressive value of elderly population (27.0%).

Even so, the Azores followed the demographic aging trend registered in the country as a whole.

According to the 2021 Census, the population aging index, an indicator that compares the population aged 65 and over with the population aged 0 to 14, is 182. This means there are 182 elderly people for every 100 young people in Portugal. This index was 128 in 2011 and 102 in 2001.

However, the Autonomous Region of the Azores stands out for having the lowest population aging index (113). In 2011 this index was 73.

“The increase in the aging index is common to all NUTS II, with the Center and Alentejo regions showing the highest values in 2021, with 229 and 219 elderly people for every 100 young people, respectively. On the other hand, the Autonomous Region of the Azores, the Lisbon Metropolitan Area and the Autonomous Region of Madeira have the lowest rates, with 113, 151 and 157”, it is highlighted.

The 2021 Census collection phase took place between April 5 and May 31. This data in specific refer to the census moment, April 19.