INE also points out that the imbalance in the volume of the population of both sexes has increased in the last decade, with a ratio of 90.7 men for every 100 women, 0.8 points less than in 2011.

Portugal has 2,424,122 people aged 65 and over and 1,331,396 under 15. There are also 5,500,951 people aged between 25 and 64 years (53.2% of the total population) and 1,088,333 aged between 15 and 24 years (10.5%).

The population group that had the "most significant reduction" was people up to 15 years of age, which dropped 15.3% and now represents 12.9% of the total, while the young population of working age (from 15 to 24 years old ) decreased by 5.1% and people aged between 25 and 64 years decreased by 5.7%.

Thus, the "double aging of the population" was aggravated with the reduction of young people and the increase of older people, points out INE.

Currently, the population aging index translates into 182 elderly people for every 100 young people. This indicator has progressively increased: in 2011 there were 128 young people per 100 elderly people in 2001 there were 102.

By region, the Alentejo, with an index of 229 elderly people per 100 young people, and the Centre, with 219 per 100, have the highest aging rates.

"Demographic aging in Portugal continued to increase significantly, highlighting the imbalances already evident in the previous decade", states the INE.

It is in the Azores that the highest percentage of the youngest population is found, with 14.6% of inhabitants aged up to 15 years and 11.9% of active young people, aged between 15 and 24 years, along with the lowest percentage of people over 65, which is 16.5%.