ALENTEJO - Population
A population highly concentrated in small agglomerations
The Alentejo has a very low population density and is in fact one of the least populated regions in Portugal. However, most of the population is concentrated in small urban centres scattered over the entire vast territory. The rural landscape which typifies the region is occasionally interrupted by small groups of houses which accommodate the population working on the large farms.
The largest urban centre is Évora. With some 44 800 inhabitants in 2003, Évora is the most important town in the region and offers a reasonable range of facilities and services. After being classed in 1986 as part of the world's heritage, it has become part of the tourist circuits and over the past few years it has had a substantial increase in visitors. Apart from Évora, there are other towns such as Beja (23 500 inhabitants in 2003) and Portalegre (15 700) with populations over 10 000 inhabitants. The towns of Beja and Évora are the capitals of the districts bearing their name and Elvas is a border town which benefits from its geographical location and a good transport network for the development of its trade.
Decline in population
After a period of gradual and moderate increase in population in the first half of the century, the Alentejo region has suffered a decline in population since, especially in the 1960s. By the early 1990s, this downward trend had reduced the population of the Alentejo almost to the levels of the 1920s: little over half a million inhabitants or about 5% of the country's population, resulting in a population density of less than 20 inhabitants per sq. km. In 2001, there were 766 000 inhabitants in the region representing 7.5% of the population of the country. The men represented 49% of the population, 1% more than the country as a whole. The share of residents with foreign nationality is largely lower in the region (0.06%) compared to the country as a whole (0.17%).
The strong emigration flows, apart from leading the decline of the region's population, has led to the ageing of the population. These factors together, have made a decisive contribution to the negative population balances and thus worsened the downward trends of the past few decades. The decline in population can be explained by various factors, but all are related to the structure of regional production. The latter is highly dependent on the agricultural sector which, by providing few job opportunities, contributes to the migratory flows to more attractive regions. On the other hand, the decrease in the rate of population renewal due to the progressive decline in the fertility rate as evidenced by the decline in the number of children per woman, together with other factors, amplify the trends towards population decline.
If information is available, please add comments on the following subjects:
- Age structure
- Birth rate
- Migration
- Infant mortality
- Life expectancy
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