About 50 percent of the population residing in Portugal is concentrated in 31 of the 308 municipalities, located mostly in the Metropolitan Areas of Lisbon and Porto, according to the preliminary results of the 2021 Census, released on 28 July by INE.

According to preliminary data from the 2021 Census, the movement pattern of population near to the Portuguese capital were accentuated and reinforced during the last decade.

According to INE, from the analysis by municipality it is concluded that “the territories located in the interior of the country lose population” and the municipalities that witnessed a population growth are located predominantly on the coast, “with a clear concentration around the capital of the country and in the Algarve region”.

Portugal currently has 10,347,892 residents, 214,286 less than in 2011, according to the preliminary results of the 2021 Census.

In census terms, the only decade in which there was a decrease in population was between 1960 and 1970, indicated INE.

Preliminary data show that in Portugal there are 4,917,794 men (48 percent) and 5,430,098 women (52 percent).

The 2021 Census collection phase took place between 5 April and the 31 May and the data refer to the date of the census, on 19 April.