Portugal's National Statistics Institute today disclosed that in 2015 the proportion of births to unmarried mothers increased to over 50%.
Over five years the percentage has risen from 41% to 50% for mums that are not married. The Institute also revealed that this rise has been particularly influenced by the increase in the proportion of births outside marriage where the parents are not even cohabiting.
The data indicate that of the births outside marriage, in 16% of cases the parents were not living together, up from 9.2% in 2010.
Portugal’s birth rate is still among the lowest in Europe and is inadequate to replace the population.
Cheerier news that the country’s death rate at least is showing a healthy increase was published today with an increase of 3.5% in the number of deaths last year over 2014.
Of the total number of registered deaths, 85% were 65 or older when they expired, thus helping to keep government spending on pensions in check. Actuaries will not have been pleased that 58% of those that died were over 80, representing a drain on pension and healthcare service funds.
As ever, most of the deaths occurred in the sharper winter months of 2015 with 108,511 deaths registered for the year, 3,668 up on 2014.
The grim reaper did not discriminate between men and women with 54,158 females and 54,353 males approaching the pearly gates for a decision.
In the annual summary of ‘births vs deaths,’ Portugal was down 23,011 in total, around the same as the year before when the balance was a negative 22,423.
For the seventh consecutive year, Portugal has had more deaths than births and for those that saw fecund refugees as a way of boosting the population in 2015, just over 200 so far have been admitted despite the government being willing to take in 10,000 or more.
Immigrant groups in past years have boosted birth rate figures, notably the amorous Ukranians, but these disappeared when the economy went into freefall as many were employed in construction which has ceased to be a viable economic sector in Portugal.
