Portugal Hits All-Time Low in Infant Mortality While Population Declines

Every year, Portugal juggles the joy of newborns with the slow tick of an ageing population. In 2025, parents could breathe easier as fewer infants failed to reach their first birthday, even though the country still recorded more deaths than births overall.

Key takeaways

• 241 babies under one year died in 2025, down from 252 in 2024

• Infant-mortality rate fell to 2.17 per 1,000 live births, its lowest on record

• Total fatalities rose to 122,151, driven by an increasingly elderly population

• 80,206 births registered from January to November, a 3% rise over 2024

• Natural population balance improved slightly to –28,937 but remains negative

Historic improvement in early-life survival

Portugal’s infant-mortality metric hit its lowest point since statistics were first compiled. With 2.17 deaths per 1,000 births, the figure sits well below the EU average and marks a 3.6% drop compared to last year. Public-health specialists note that this milestone underscores decades of progress—from the days when more than 30 infants per 1,000 births did not survive their first year to today’s near-Nordic standard.

The ageing tide continues

Even as child survival improves, the overall death toll climbed by 2.6% over 2024, reaching 122,151. Preliminary data show that 87% of those who passed away were aged 65 or older, and 61.2% were 80+. With life expectancy topping 82 years, the demographic squeeze is intensifying pressure on the Serviço Nacional de Saúde and pension systems, particularly in regions like the interior of Alentejo and the Beiras where populations skew oldest.

Maternal and infant programs driving change

Key initiatives have combined to push Portugal’s infant-survival curve downward:

• National Neonatal Screening Programme (Teste do Pezinho) tested over 87,700 newborns in 2025, detecting 147 serious conditions early and enabling timely treatment.

• Estratégia Única dos Direitos das Crianças e Jovens 2025–2035 mandates interministerial action on maternal and child well-being, from prenatal check-ups to the critical first 1,000 days.

• The Programa Nacional de Saúde Materna e Infantil e Juvenil (PNSIJ) expanded home-visit nursing and prenatal surveillance, especially in underserved districts.

• A reduced VAT of 6% on baby formula and infant foods has eased household budgets and encouraged adherence to nutritional guidelines.

• Public hospitals boosted in-house lactation support after a mid-year review highlighted gaps in breastfeeding guidance.

Each measure, experts say, builds on Portugal’s legacy of free maternity care and community-based health teams that date back to the creation of the Serviço Nacional de Saúde in 1979.

Regional outlook and data gaps

District-level figures for 2025 are due later this year, but previous releases have shown that infant mortality remains slightly elevated in rural pockets of the North and Alentejo. Municipal health authorities are pressing for targeted mobile clinics and telemedicine links to bridge the gap between Lisbon-centred resources and remote communities.

What lies ahead for families and policymakers

Looking toward 2026, parliament will debate whether to extend the 6% VAT on baby products and whether to codify a national perinatal audit system. If approved, hospitals would receive hospital-specific feedback on every infant fatality, a step many believe is essential to push the rate below 2 deaths per 1,000 births.

For couples weighing parenthood, these trends signal steadily improving safety nets. Yet the broader demographic challenge—more deaths than births—remains a defining question for Portugal’s future economic vitality and social cohesion.