Migrants Lift Madeira's Population to Peak

Madeira’s headcount keeps climbing, powered by newcomers

Lisbon, Friday, 27 June 2025 - Madeira, the subtropical Portuguese archipelago famous for its terraced cliffs and year-round spring weather, closed 2024 with 259,440 residents, the largest population the islands have recorded in eleven years, according to fresh figures released by the National Statistics Institute and the regional statistics office, DREM.

Migration now outweighs the birth deficit

While local birth rates remain far below the level needed to replace each generation, the islands attracted a net 3,599 new residents from abroad or mainland Portugal last year. That inflow was robust enough to cancel out a natural decline of 781 people — the gap between births and deaths — and still push overall numbers higher for a sixth consecutive year. Demographers say the migration balance is the most positive registered since national record-keeping began in the early 1980s.

Where the growth is happening

Every municipality posted a modest gain, but the fastest growth came in the quieter northern enclave of São Vicente, in sunny Porto Santo — whose broad golden beach is a favourite weekend escape from Funchal — and in rugged Porto Moniz. Even with newcomers, however, population density varies dramatically: capital city Funchal packs 1,418 people into each square kilometre, while Porto Moniz hosts barely 31.

An older population, modest fertility uptick

The median Madeiran is now 47.2 years old, up from 46.9 the year before. Youngsters under 15 make up just 11.9 percent of residents, whereas seniors already outnumber them by almost 1.8 to 1. Although 2024 brought a slight increase in births — 1,793 babies, or 6.9 per thousand inhabitants — the average woman still has only 1.25 children, far from the 2.1 considered necessary for long-term replacement.

Society still marries — and stays married longer

Weddings are enjoying a renaissance: 1,225 couples said “sim” in 2024, the strongest showing in 17 years and equal to 4.7 marriages per thousand people. At the same time, only 932 marriages ended because a spouse died, the lowest figure on record, nudging the region’s gross widowhood rate to an all-time low.

Why it matters for foreigners

For international students, digital nomads and retirees eyeing Madeira, the numbers confirm a region that is becoming more cosmopolitan yet remains sparsely populated outside Funchal. The accelerating greying of the population suggests sustained demand for healthcare professionals, while the rise in marriages and births hints at a slowly diversifying age pyramid. Housing prices have inched up alongside new arrivals, but the archipelago’s unemployment rate still sits below the national average, and remote-work infrastructure such as the acclaimed Nomad Village in Ponta do Sol continues to expand.

Looking ahead

Officials in Funchal say they will continue courting skilled migrants to offset demographic pressure, even as the national Non-Habitual Resident tax regime winds down for newcomers. Analysts expect migration to remain the main driver of growth, given the still-subdued fertility rate and the archipelago’s limited landmass. For would-be settlers, that means a community increasingly international yet intent on preserving the slow-paced way of life that draws people here in the first place.